Côn Đảo

Coordinates: 8°41′35″N 106°36′34″E / 8.69306°N 106.60944°E / 8.69306; 106.60944

The Côn Đảo Islands are an archipelago of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province, in the south-east region of Vietnam, and a district of this province.

Description

Situated about 185 km (115 mi) from Vũng Tàu and 230 km (143 mi) from Ho Chi Minh City, the group includes 16 mountainous islands and islets. The total land area reaches 75.15 km² (29.02 sq mi) and the local population is about 5,000.

The islands are composed of magmatic rocks of different ages. Hon Bay Canh, Hon Cau, Hon Bong Lang composed of Cretaceous microgranit rocks. The Northern part of Con Dao Island composed of quartz diorite and granite - granodiorit of late Mesozoic- early Cenozoic age, and is partially covered by Quaternary marine sediments. The Southern part of this island and Hon Ba island are composed of the riolit and intrusive formations of unknown age. On the western slope of Con Dao Island, there exist of outcrops of diorite and microgranit penetrated by big quartz bands .

1,3,5-Triazido-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene

1,3,5-Triazido-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene, also known as TATNB (triazidotrinitrobenzene) and TNTAZB (trinitrotriazidobenzene), is an aromatic high explosive composed of a benzene ring with three azido groups (N₃) and three nitro groups (NO₂) alternating around the ring. It has chemical formula C₆(N₃)₃(NO₂)₃. Its velocity of detonation is 7,350 meters per second, comparable to TATB.

RDX

RDX, an initialism for Research Department explosive, is an explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. It was developed as an explosive which was more powerful than TNT, and it saw wide use in World War II. RDX is also known as Research Department Formula X,cyclonite, hexogen (particularly in German and German-influenced languages), and T4. Its chemical name is cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine; name variants include cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine and cyclotrimethylene trinitramine.

In its pure, synthesized state RDX is a white, crystalline solid. It is often used in mixtures with other explosives and plasticizers, phlegmatizers or desensitizers. RDX is stable in storage and is considered one of the most powerful and brisant of the military high explosives.

Name

RDX is also known, but less commonly, as cyclonite, hexogen (particularly in Russian, German and German-influenced languages), T4 and chemically as cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine. Tenney L Davis, writing in the US in 1943, stated it was generally known in the US as cyclonite; the Germans called it Hexogen, the Italians T4. In the 1930s, the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, started investigating cyclonite as an explosive to use against German U-boats that were being built with thicker hulls. Britain wanted an explosive that was more powerful than TNT. For security reasons, Britain termed Cyclonite as "Research Department Explosive" (R.D.X.). The term RDX appeared in the United States in 1946, but the name RDX is given without explanation. The first public reference in the United Kingdom to the name RDX, or R.D.X. to use the official title, appeared in 1948; its authors were the Managing Chemist, ROF Bridgwater, the Chemical Research and Development Department, Woolwich, and the Director of Royal Ordnance Factories, Explosives; again, it was referred to as simply RDX.

Hexanitroethane

Hexanitroethane (HNE) is an organic compound with chemical formula C₂N₆O₁₂ or (O₂N)₃C-C(NO₂)₃. It is a solid matter with a melting point of 135 °C.

Hexanitroethane is used in some pyrotechnic compositions as a nitrogen-rich oxidizer, e.g. in some decoy flare compositions and some propellants. Like hexanitrobenzene, HNE is investigated as a gas source for explosively pumped gas dynamic laser.

A composition of HNE as oxidizer with boron as fuel is being investigated as a new explosive.

References

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Cinepazet

Cinepazet is a vasodilator and is an ethyl ester derivative of cinepazic acid.

Octanitrocubane

Octanitrocubane (molecular formula: C₈(NO₂)₈) is a high explosive that, like TNT, is shock-insensitive (not readily detonated by shock), not detonating even when struck by a hammer. The octanitrocubane molecule has the same chemical structure as cubane (C₈H₈) except that each of the eight hydrogen atoms is replaced by a nitro group (NO₂).

It is however not as powerful as once thought, as the high density theoretical crystal structure has not been achieved. For this reason heptanitrocubane, the slightly less nitrated form, is believed to have marginally better performance despite having a worse oxygen balance.

Octanitrocubane is thought to have 20–25% greater performance than HMX (octogen). This increase in power is due to its highly expansive breakdown into CO₂ and N₂, as well as to the presence of strained chemical bonds in the molecule which have stored potential energy. In addition, octanitrocubane produces no water vapor making it less visible, and both the chemical itself and its decomposition products (nitrogen and carbon dioxide) are considered to be non-toxic.