Crystallization and Characterization of RDX, HMX, and CL-20

In this paper, a selection of the results obtained on the crystallization of the energetic materials RDX, HMX, and CL-20 will be briefly reported. Furthermore, the shock sensitivity of these explosives, when incorporated in a so-called plastic bonded explosive (PBX), will be discussed in more detail. One of the most important results is a direct correlation between the mean density of the energetic material and the shock sensitivity of the PBX containing this explosive. This implies that, similar to many other solid materials, the ability to control the product quality is also one of the major key factors playing a role during the crystallization of these energetic materials.