TABLE OF CONTENTS The detonation of HMX (C 4H 8N 8O 8) will result in the formation of its decomposition products. These may be carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbon, water, etc., as shown in Reaction 5.3.
In order to clarify the problem of decomposition products, a set of rules was developed during World War II by Kistiakowsky and Wilson. These rules are nowadays known as the Kistiakowsky Wilson rules (K W rules). These rules should only be used for moderately oxygen-deficient explosives with an oxygen balance greater than ?40.0.
The Kistiakowsky-Wilson rules are presented in Table 5.3.
| Rule no. | Conditions |
|---|---|
| 1 | Carbon atoms are converted to carbon monoxide |
| 2 | If any oxygen remains then hydrogen is then oxidized to water |
| 3 | If any oxygen still remains then carbon monoxide is oxidized to carbon dioxide |
| 4 | All the nitrogen is converted to nitrogen gas, N 2 |
Using these rules, the decomposition products of HMX (C 4H 8N 8O 8) can be determined as shown in Table 5.4.
| Rule no. | Conditions | Products |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carbon atoms are converted to carbon monoxide | 4 C ? 4 CO |
| 2 | If any oxygen remains then hydrogen is then oxidized to water | 4 O ? 4 H 2O |
| 3 | If any oxygen still remains then carbon monoxide is oxidized to carbon dioxide | No more oxygen |
| 4 | All the nitrogen is converted... |
