Chinese researchers have successfully detonated a 2kg hydrogen-based explosive device without using any nuclear materials. The device, developed by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation's 705 Research Institute, utilized magnesium hydride, a hydrogen storage material, which when activated by conventional explosives, underwent rapid thermal decomposition, releasing hydrogen gas that ignited into a sustained inferno lasting over two seconds and reaching temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius. This is significantly longer than similar explosions using TNT.
The magnesium hydride material, originally intended for clean energy applications in off-grid areas, proved effective in creating a powerful and sustained explosion. The researchers highlighted the unique properties of hydrogen gas, emphasizing its ease of ignition, wide explosion range, and rapid flame spread.
This achievement showcases advancements in hydrogen-based explosive technology. While initially developed for clean energy applications, the magnesium hydride material's properties have found another use in the creation of non-nuclear explosive devices. The study was published in the Chinese-language Journal of Projectiles, Rockets, Missiles and Guidance.
The 2kg (4.4lbs) bomb generated a fireball exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit) for more than two seconds – 15 times longer than equivalent TNT blasts – without using any nuclear materials, it said.
Developed by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) 705 Research Institute, a key player in underwater weapon systems, the device uses a magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage material.
When activated by conventional explosives, the magnesium hydride underwent rapid thermal decomposition, releasing hydrogen gas that ignited into a sustained inferno, the researchers said in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Chinese-language Journal of Projectiles, Rockets, Missiles and Guidance.
“Hydrogen gas explosions ignite with minimal ignition energy, have a broad explosion range, and unleash flames that race outward rapidly while spreading widely,” said the team, led by CSSC research scientist Wang Xuefeng.
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