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SOLID STATE FUEL-AIR EXPLOSIVES WITH

ENHANCED POWER AND STABILITY

SURT Technologies LTD

Stefan Kolev, PhD

Tzvetomir Tzonev

Phone: +359 878 633801

E-mail: info@surt-technologies.com

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Tested types of solid state charges

Homogenous TBX

(H-TBX)

Annular TBX

(A-TBX)

Booster

Central charge

Outer layer

Solid state explosives. No monopropellants, fluorine binders,

HTPB, heavy metals or ammonium perchlorate.

Characteristics of the aerobic burning

RDX/IPN/Al; d = 6 m; 2.3 ms A-TBX; d = 10 m; 12 ms

Composition Diameter Volume Area

RDX/IPN/Al 6 m 47 m3 50 m2

AnnularTBX 10 m 131 m3 109 m2

5 kg charges

5 kg

Annular

design

4RDX/IPN/Al Annular TBX

SURT Tech.

2 ms

5 ms

30 ms

15 ms

Brightness 1

Gain 1.63RDX

25 MJ 35 MJ 80 MJ 5 kg charges

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Tested at -10oC air temperature

Model of a thermobaric hand

granade (Annular TBX).

600 g charge.

Fireball 2 ms after initiation

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2 kg Annular TBX; 2.5 ms after initiation

Tested at -10oC air temperature

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4 m; -30, -60 cm 5.5 m; -110 cm 7 m; -110 cm 9 m; -60 cm

A-TBX Destroyed Open/Damaged Open No Action

H-TBX Destroyed <50% Open <50% Open No Action

RDX/IPN/Al

or TNT

Destroyed No Action No Action No Action

Effect on target (entrenched wooden ammo boxes)

All charges are 2.5 kg. Results with TNT coincide with RDX/IPN/Al

Solid state TBXs were detonated from -60 to +75oC. RDX/IPN/Al fails at -60oC.

Charge

82.5 kg RDX/IPN/Al; 420 cm; -30cm

2.5 kg Annular TBX; 400 cm; -30 cm

Results with TNT coincide with RDX/IPN/Al

Effect on entrenched wooden boxes

Before After Before After

2.5 kg Homogenous TBX; 400 cm; -30 cm

2.5 kg Annular TBX; 700 cm; -110 cm

2.5 kg Homogenous TBX; 700 cm; -110 cm

2.5 kg RDX/IPN/Al; 550 cm; -30 cm

Closer view

2.5 kg

A-TBX

700 cm; -110 cm

2.5 kg

H-TBX

400 cm; -60 cm

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The charge (Homogenous TBX or RDX) is placed

in the middle of the pile

3.5 m

1.7m

2.5 m

Effect on target (wooden ammo boxes)

700 g charge

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Effect on target (wooden boxes)

700g; 95% RDX 5% wax; 200 ms 700g; H-TBX; 200 ms

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1 kg; H-TBX; 200 ms after initiation

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0.7 kg Homogenous TBX

Scattering of the wooden boxes

1 kg H-TBX

0.7 kg H-TBX

0.7 kg RDX

Charge Area of scattering, m2

1 kg H-TBX 1470

0.7 kg H-TBX 330

0.7 kg RDX 200

1414

TNT equivalence in impulse for air blast

Homogenous TBX has about 2.5 times TNT equivalent in impulse

TN

T e

qu

iva

len

t

Distance, m Distance, m

Imp

. D

ura

tio

n, m

s

TNT

H-TBX

Snapshot, 3 ms after

initiation of 2.5 kg

Homogenous TBX

(in RPG-7 warhead)

Distance

[m]

Impulse

[bar.ms]

TNT

equivalent

2 5 4.3

3 3 3.7

4 1.2 1.5

5 1.2 2.1

6 1.2 2.6

7 1.1 3

8 0.8 2.2

10 0.7 2.6

Mean value TNT eq = 2.75

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Metal acceleration effect

Steel sheet targets for the prefragmented warhead (Homogenous TBX)

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57 mm prefragmented warhead in place

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Results

3 m

4 m7 m6 m

5 m

RDX 302 hits; 302 penetrations

H-TBX 248 hits; 248 penetrations

3-7 meters distance; 2-4 mm

steel sheet targets

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10m 3

mm 2

3

34

2

4

3

5

35

4

6

2

6

3

7

2 7

3

Steel sheets were

too thin for the

tested warheads, all

hits resulted in

penetrations.

95% RDX (A-IX-1)

H-TBX

Pe

ne

tra

tion

s

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After RDX After H-TBX

Perforation after both charges

Results

5 m; 4

mm

Analysis

- The pre-fragmentation warhead S-5MO was charged with 700g H-TBX

- 360 fragments each weighing 2 g

- Speed of the slowest fragments (5 meters distance from the warhead)

900-1000 m/s (experimental, derived from steel sheets penetration)

- Medium fragments speed 1200 m/s (calculated)

- Fastest fragments speed 1500-1600 m/s (calculated)

- At 5 meters all hits on 4 mm steel sheet resulted in penetrations

- No X ray was carried out, but metal penetration tests

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1-2 g 2-3 g 3-5 g

Fragmentation of 130 mm shell for M-46 howitzer

TNT H-TBX

Num. 1-2 g 2-3 g 3-5 g All

TNT 561 244 144 3382

H-TBX 510 310 295 2633

84% mass of TNT shell recovered

82% mass of TBX shell recovered

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Testing RPG-7 warhead

RPG-7 warhead loaded with 2.5 kg H-TBX

High speed video frame captured in flight and when hitting target

Mechanical properties of Homogenous TBX

Measured hardness

Shore A = 40 at 20oC

Density 1.75 g/cm3 (95% TMD)Thermal expansion measured

(95% TMD, loaded by hand)

15oC to 75oC ~ +1 mm (270 mm long warhead)

15oC to -60oC ~ -1 mm (270 mm long warhead)

Heat resistance of H-TBX and A-TBX

T/t -60oC/48h +75oC/48h +100oC/24h +150oC/1h +220oC/0.5h

H-TBX No change No change No change Not tested Not tested

A-TBX No change No change No change No change No change

Annular TBX 150oC/1h

Annular TBX 220oC/30min

Detected mass changes < 0.1 g/kg

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Resistance to low temperature and water

Frozen in water

Rain

On sun

H-TBX and A-TBX have resistance to any climate. They can remain safe

and operational even in extreme conditions.

-60o C

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Comparison of existing TB mixtures

Full

burning of

fuel

Е(anaerob)/

Е(aerob)

MJ/kg

Water

proof

T>100оС

Brisance

GPa

TMD

g/cm3

Price

USD/kg

RDX/IPN/Al

(Russian TBX)

X 3/6-8a X X ~10 1.40 ~20

HMX/HTPB/Al

(PBXIH-135)

X 4/6-8a V X ~20 1.72 60-80

RDX/HTPB/AP/Al

(AFX-757)

X 2/10a X X ~10 1.84 40-60

Homogenous TBX

SURT Tech.

X 5/10 V V ~20 1.88 ~20

Annular TBX

SURT Tech.

V 5/16 V V ~25b 2.18c ~20

a Only in enclosed spaceb At the ends of the cylindrical chargec Density of the outer layer, the whole charge density is ~ 2.0 g/cm3 with ph. RDX or HMX core

1000 g solid incendiary mix

burning on a wooden box

Before

During

After

Scattering of 4 kg solid incendiary mix

Solid state incendiary mixture

- Contains no heavy metals, phosphorous, fluorine, or volatile

chemicals.

- Exceptional chemical stability and temperature stability up to

250oC.

- High density (TMD = 2.2 g/cm3)

- Very cost effective - at production price of ~20 USD/kg.

Other products of SURT Tech. LTD

Caliber, mm 40 60 100 200 300+

40+ mm underbarrel

grenade and hand

grenade (A-TBX)

Tested

60+ mm shell

or mortar (H-TBX)

Static tests so far

60-120 mm shoulder

fired grenade (A-TBX or H-TBX)

Tested

All kinds of existing munitions from 30 mm to multikilo aviation

bombs can be loaded with A-TBX or H-TBX

TB engineer’s charge, 5kg

(A-TBX or H-TBX)

Tested

Air to ground missiles

(H-TBX)

80 mm AGM already

in productionAerial bombs, smart weapons,

guided missiles, penetrators, etc.

Not tested with A-TBX or H-TBX

yet, very promising!

80 mm AGM loaded with the former version of H-TBX, TNT

equivalent 2.5 - already a production capability

SURT Technologies LTD Capabilities

SURT Tech. LTD is strictly a research and not a production company

Ready for Production (High Technology Readiness Level)

- Enhanced Blast Explosive Composition (H-TBX)

- Enhanced Blast Explosive - Annular Design (A-TBX)

- Thermite Composition - Environmentally Friendly

- Polymer Bonded Incendiary Composition

Technology Readiness Level for H-TBX and A-TBX:

TRL: 8 Actual system completed and qualified through test and demonstration;

Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL): 9 Low rate production demonstrated

H-TBX munitions certified by AQAP 2110. Low rate production monitored by

ISO 9001:2008

Under Development (Still Low Technology Readiness Level)

Underwater Enhanced Blast Explosive - more powerful and less sensitive than

PBXN-103 and 105

Theoretical Work

Supercomputer calculations of energetic molecules, heterostructures and systems

(real-life propellants and explosives); access to supercomputer facilities