Re: 20MM Hexagon Ammunition
 

From my little explosives book, which is I believe a learning material for explosive disarmer experts (? correct E term ?) here.

It goes for Hexogen as (sorry for the clumsy terminus technicus) :

Hexogen
gas volume = 798 lit/kg
explosive heat = 6025 KJ/kg (1300 kcal/kg)
Explosive temperature = 4100 celsius
speed of detonation = 8750 m/sec
Trauzl-test = 475 mililiters
Hess-test = 24 mm

Nitropenta

gas volume = 780 lit/kg
explosive heat = 5895 KJ/kg (1460 kcal/kg)
Explosive temperature = 4500 celsius
speed of detonation = 8400 m/sec
Trauzl-test = 523 mililiters
Hess-test = 24 mm

TNT

gas volume = 620 lit/kg
explosive heat = 5066 KJ/kg (656 kcal/kg)
Explosive temperature = 2400 celsius
speed of detonation = 6800-6900 m/sec
Trauzl-test = 300 mililiters
Hess-test = 13 mm

Tetril

gas volume = 710 lit/kg
explosive heat = n/a KJ/kg (908 kcal/kg)
Explosive temperature = 3350 celsius
speed of detonation = 7200 m/sec
Trauzl-test = 430 cube centimeters (typo?)
Hess-test = 19 mm


Can someone tell the difference between the Hess tests and Trauzl tests, these are standard measurement methods but the book is rather clumsy in explaining them (at least to me).

Re: 20MM Hexagon Ammunition
 

Hello Tony,

To my knowledge Nitropenta is not a mixture of Penthrite and wax. It's a commercial name for pure Penthrite, very often used in Europe. Montan wax is a type of wax produced from lignite (brown coal).

I've also noticed that according the german documents which describe the MG151/20 rounds, the explosive component in the round is always Nitropenta + a certain percentage of phlegmatizer. The phlegmatizer is wax.
Furhter, incendiary rounds (Brandgeschosse) are mosty a combination of Nitropenta, wax and Elektron-Thermite or Phosphorus. Only Minen-Geschosse used the HA.41 composition.


all the best,
Tomislav