Relative effectiveness factor
The relative effectiveness factor, or R.E. factor, relates an explosive's demolition power to that of TNT, in units of the TNT equivalent/kg (TNTe/kg). The R.E. factor is the relative mass of TNT to which an explosive is equivalent; the greater the R.E., the more powerful the explosive.
This enables engineers to determine the proper masses of different explosives when applying blasting formulas developed specifically for TNT. For example, if a timber-cutting formula calls for a charge of 1 kg of TNT, then based on octanitrocubane's R.E. factor of 2.38, it would take only 1.0/2.38 (or 0.42) kg of it to do the same job. Using PETN, engineers would need 1.0/1.66 (or 0.60) kg to obtain the same effects as 1 kg of TNT. With ANFO or ammonium nitrate, they would require 1.0/0.74 (or 1.35) kg or 1.0/0.42 (or 2.38) kg, respectively.
R.E. factor examples
The greater the R.E. number, the more powerful the explosive.
| Explosive, Grade | Density (g/ml) |
Detonation Vel. (m/s) |
R.E. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ammonium nitrate (AN + <0.5% H2O) | 1.72 | 2550 | 0.42[1] |
| Mercury(II) fulminate (AN + <0.5% H2O) | 4.42 | 4200 | 0.51[2] |
| Black powder (75% KNO3 + 19% C + 6% S) | 1.65 | 600 | 0.55 |
| Tanerit Simply® (93% granulated AN + 6% red P + 1% C) | 0.90 | 2750 | 0.55 |
| Hexamine dinitrate (HDN) | 1.30 | 5070 | 0.60 |
| Dinitrobenzene (DNB) | 1.50 | 6025 | 0.60 |
| HMTD (hexamine peroxide) | 0.88 | 4520 | 0.74 |
| ANFO (94% AN + 6% fuel oil) | 0.92 | 5270 | 0.74 |
| TATP (acetone peroxide) | 1.18 | 5300 | 0.80 |
| Tovex® Extra (AN water gel) commercial product | 1.33 | 5690 | 0.80 |
| Hydromite® 600 (AN water emulsion) commercial product | 1.24 | 5550 | 0.80 |
| ANNMAL (66% AN + 25% NM + 5% Al + 3% C + 1% TETA) | 1.16 | 5360 | 0.87 |
| Amatol (50% TNT + 50% AN) | 1.50 | 6290 | 0.91 |
| Nitroguanidine | 1.32 | 6750 | 0.95 |
| Trinitrotoluene (TNT) | 1.60 | 6900 | 1.00 |
| Hexanitrostilbene (HNS) | 1.70 | 7080 | 1.05 |
| Nitrourea | 1.45 | 6860 | 1.05 |
| Tritonal (80% TNT + 20% aluminium)* | 1.70 | 6650 | 1.05 |
| Amatol (80% TNT + 20% AN) | 1.55 | 6570 | 1.10 |
| Nitrocellulose (13.5% N, NC; AKA guncotton) | 1.40 | 6400 | 1.10 |
| Nitromethane (NM) | 1.13 | 6360 | 1.10 |
| PBXW-126 (22% NTO, 20% RDX, 20% AP, 26% Al, 12% PU’s system)* | 1.80 | 6450 | 1.10 |
| Diethylene glycol dinitrate (DEGDN) | 1.38 | 6610 | 1.17 |
| PBXIH-135 EB (42% HMX, 33% Al, 25% PCP-TMETN’s system)* | 1.81 | 7060 | 1.17 |
| PBXN-109 (64% RDX, 20% Al, 16% HTPB’s system)* | 1.68 | 7450 | 1.17 |
| Triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB) | 1.80 | 7550 | 1.17 |
| Picric acid (TNP) | 1.71 | 7350 | 1.20 |
| Trinitrobenzene (TNB) | 1.60 | 7300 | 1.20 |
| Tetrytol (70% tetryl + 30% TNT) | 1.60 | 7370 | 1.20 |
| Nobel's Dynamite (75% NG + 23% diatomite) | 1.48 | 7200 | 1.25 |
| Tetryl | 1.71 | 7770 | 1.25 |
| Torpex (aka HBX, 41% RDX + 40% TNT + 18% Al + 1% wax)* | 1.80 | 7440 | 1.30 |
| Composition B (63% RDX + 36% TNT + 1% wax) | 1.72 | 7840 | 1.33 |
| Composition C-3 (78% RDX) | 1.60 | 7630 | 1.33 |
| Composition C-4 (91% RDX) | 1.59 | 8040 | 1.34 |
| Pentolite (56% PETN + 44% TNT) | 1.66 | 7520 | 1.33 |
| Semtex 1A (76% PETN + 6% RDX) | 1.55 | 7670 | 1.35 |
| RISAL P (50% IPN + 28% RDX + 15% Al + 4% Mg + 1% Zr + 2% NC)* | 1.39 | 5980 | 1.40 |
| Hydrazine mononitrate | 1.59 | 8500 | 1.42 |
| Mixture: 24% nitrobenzene + 76% TNM | 1.48 | 8060 | 1.50 |
| Mixture: 30% nitrobenzene + 70% nitrogen tetroxide | 1.39 | 8290 | 1.50 |
| Nitroglycerin (NG) | 1.59 | 8100 | 1.54 |
| Octol (80% HMX + 19% TNT + 1% DNT) | 1.83 | 8690 | 1.54 |
| Nitrotriazolon (NTO) | 1.87 | 8120 | 1.60 |
| DADNE (1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene, FOX-7) | 1.77 | 8330 | 1.60 |
| Ballistite (92% NG + 7% nitrocellulose) | 1.60 | 7970 | 1.60 |
| Plastics Gel® (in toothpaste tube: 45% PETN + 45% NG + 5% DEGDN + 4% NC) | 1.51 | 7940 | 1.60 |
| Composition A-5 (98% RDX + 2% stearic acid) | 1.65 | 8470 | 1.60 |
| Erythritol tetranitrate (ETN) | 1.60 | 8100 | 1.60 |
| Hexogen (RDX) | 1.78 | 8700 | 1.60 |
| PBXW-11 (96% HMX, 1% HyTemp, 3% DOA) | 1.81 | 8720 | 1.60 |
| Penthrite (PETN) | 1.71 | 8400 | 1.66 |
| Ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN) | 1.49 | 8300 | 1.66 |
| TNAZ (trinitroazetidine) | 1.85 | 8640 | 1.70 |
| Octogen (HMX grade B) | 1.86 | 9100 | 1.70 |
| HNIW (CL-20) | 1.97 | 9380 | 1.80 |
| Hexanitrobenzene (HNB) | 1.97 | 9400 | 1.85 |
| — (AFX-757) | N/A | N/A | 1.85 |
| MEDINA (Methylene dinitroamine) | 1.65 | 8700 | 1.93 |
| DDF (4,4’-Dinitro-3,3’-diazenofuroxan) | 1.98 | 10,000 | 1.95 |
| Heptanitrocubane (HNC) | 1.92 | 9200 | N/A |
| — (AFX-777) | N/A | N/A | 1.97 |
| — (PAX-28) | N/A | N/A | 2.16 |
| Octanitrocubane (ONC) | 1.95 | 10,600 | 2.38 |
*: TBX (thermobaric explosives) or EBX (enhanced blast explosives), in a small, confined space, may have over twice the power of destruction. The Total Power of aluminized mixtures strictly depends on the condition of explosions.
Nuclear
| Weapon | Total yield (kilotons of TNT) |
Weight (kg) |
R.E. ~ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davy Crockett (nuclear device) | 0.022 | 23 | 1,000 |
| Fat Man (dropped on Nagasaki A-bomb) | 20 | 4600 | 4,500 |
| Classic (one-stage) fission A-bomb | 22 | 420 | 50,000 |
| Russian suitcase nuke (in service of GRU) | 2.5 | 31 | 80,000 |
| Typical (two-stage) nuclear bomb | 500–1000 | 650–1120 | 900,000 |
| W56 thermonuclear warhead | 1,200 | 272–308 | 4,960,000 |
| W88 modern thermonuclear warhead (MIRV) | 470 | 355 | 1,300,000 |
| B53 nuclear bomb (two-stage) | 9,000 | 4050 | 2,200,000 |
| B41 nuclear bomb (three-stage) | 25,000 | 4850 | 5,100,000 |
| Tsar nuclear bomb (three-stage) | 50,000–56,000 | 26,500 | 2,100,000 |
| GBU-57 bomb (Massive Ordnance Penetrator, MOP) | 0.0035 | 13,600 | 0.26 |
| Grand Slam (Earthquake bomb, M110) | 0.0065 | 9,900 | 0.66 |
| Bomb used in Oklahoma City (ANFO base on racing fuel) | 0.0018 | 2,300 | 0.78 |
| BLU-82 (Daisy Cutter) | 0.0075 | 6,800 | 1.10 |
| MOAB (non-nuclear bomb, GBU-47) | 0.011 | 9,800 | 1.13 |
| FOAB (advanced thermobaric bomb, ATBIP) | 0.044 | 9,100 | 4.83 |
See also
References
- Cooper, Paul W. (1996), Explosives Engineering, New York: Wiley-VCH, ISBN 0-471-18636-8
- HQ Department of the Army (2004) [1967], Field Manual 5-25: Explosives and Demolitions, Washington, D.C.: Pentagon Publishing, pp. 83–84, ISBN 0-9759009-5-1
- Explosives - Compositions, Alexandria, VA: GlobalSecurity.org, retrieved September 1, 2010
- Urbański, Tadeusz (1985) [1984], Chemistry and Technology of Explosives, Volumes I–IV (second ed.), Oxford: Pergamon
- Jörg Mathieu and Hans Stucki (2004) [[[International Standard Serial Number|ISSN]] 0009-4293], Military High Explosives, CHIMIA EXPLOSIVES (58, No 6 ed.), Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft, pp. 383–389
- 3. Thermobaric Explosives, Advanced Energetic Materials, 2004., THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS, nap.edu, retrieved September 2004 Check date values in:
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