Chemical destruction of HMX-based explosives with ammonium hydroxide

A series of experiments at Los Alamos National Laboratory explored the efficacy of ammonium hydroxide solutions in converting HMX (cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine, or Octogen) and HMX-based explosives to nonenergetic, nonhazardous materials. When 80 g of explosive was converted in a reactor operating at 85 psig pressure at 140 C, the principal gaseous products were nitrous oxide (46% to 51%), nitrogen (22% to 32%), and ammonia (17% to 28%). Formate and hexamethylene-tetramine (hexamine) account for effectively 100% of the carbon-bearing aqueous species. Nitrate, nitrite, and acetate were present in the liquid in trace amounts. The process effectively treated molding powders of the plastic-bonded explosives PBX 9501 (2.5% estane), LX-04 (15% viton), and PBX 9404 (3% nitrocellulose). Results were compared with those achieved using sodium hydroxide solutions at 150 C in a pressurized reactor