Editing RDX (section)

==Stability==
RDX has a high nitrogen content and a high oxygen to carbon ratio, (O:C ratio), both of which indicate its explosive potential for formation of N<sub>2</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub>.

RDX undergoes a [[deflagration to detonation transition]] (DDT) in confinement and certain circumstances.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Price |first1=D. |last2=Bernecker |first2=R. |year=1977 |title=DDT Behavior of Waxed Mixtures of RDX, HMX, and Tetryl |url=http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a047968.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202165918/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a047968.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 2, 2016 |journal=Naval Surface Weapons Center }}</ref>

The [[Explosive velocity|velocity of detonation]] of RDX at a density of 1.80 g/cm<sup>3</sup> is 8750&nbsp;m/s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Klapötke |first=Thomas M. |title=Chemistry of High-Energy Materials |edition= 2nd |date=2012-05-29 |publisher=De Gruyter |language=en |doi=10.1515/9783110273595 |isbn=978-3-11-027359-5}}</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2025}}

It starts to decompose at approximately 170&nbsp;°C and melts at 204&nbsp;°C. At [[room temperature]], it is very stable. It burns rather than explodes. It detonates only with a [[detonator]], being unaffected even by [[small arms]] fire. This property makes it a useful military explosive. It is less sensitive than pentaerythritol tetranitrate ([[PETN]]). Under normal conditions, RDX has a [[Figure of Insensitivity]] of exactly 80 (RDX defines the reference point).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Akhavan |first=Jacqueline |title=The Chemistry of Explosives |date=2022-03-07 |publisher=The Royal Society of Chemistry |isbn=978-1-83916-446-0 |language=en |doi=10.1039/9781839168802}}</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2025}}

RDX [[sublimation (chemistry)|sublimes]] in [[vacuum]], which restricts or prevents its use in some applications.<ref>{{cite journal
| last1      = Ewing
| first1     = Robert G.
| last2      = Waltman
| first2     = Melanie J.
| last3      = Atkinson
| first3     = David A.
| last4      = Grate
| first4     = Jay W.
| last5      = Hotchkiss
| first5     = Peter J.
| date       = 1 January 2013
| title      = The vapor pressures of explosives
| journal    = Trends in Analytical Chemistry
| volume     = 42
| pages      = 35–48
| doi        = 10.1016/j.trac.2012.09.010
| doi-access= free
}}</ref>

RDX, when exploded in air, has about 1.5 times the explosive energy of TNT per unit weight and about 2.0 times per unit volume.<ref name="baxter-257&259" /><ref>{{Harvtxt|Elderfield|1960|p=8}}</ref>

RDX is insoluble in water, with solubility 0.05975 g/L at temperature of 25&nbsp;°C.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://chemistry-chemists.com/chemister/Spravochniki/handbook-of-aqueous-solubility-data-2010.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016083318/http://chemistry-chemists.com/chemister/Spravochniki/handbook-of-aqueous-solubility-data-2010.pdf |archive-date=2012-10-16 |url-status=live|title=Handbook of aqueous solubility data|last1=Yalkowsky|first1=S. H.|last2=He|first2=Y.|last3=Jain|first3=P.|date=2010|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781439802458|edition=2nd|location=Boca Raton, FL|page=61}}</ref>