Cyclotol is an
explosive consisting of
castable mixtures of
RDX and
TNT. It is related to the more common
Composition B, which is roughly 60% RDX and 40% TNT; various compositions of Cyclotol contain from 65% to 80% RDX.
[
] Typical ranges are from 60/40 to 80/20 RDX/TNT, with the most common being 70/30, while the military mostly uses 77/23 optimized in warheads.
Properties
Use
Cyclotol is not commonly used, but was reportedly the main explosive used in at least some models of US
nuclear weapons
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission, fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion, fusion reactions (thermonuclear weap ...
. Sublette lists Cyclotol as the explosive in the US
B28 nuclear bomb and possibly related weapons that used the common
Python primary -
W34,
W28,
W40, and
W49.
It was used in the
B53 nuclear bomb and associated W53 warhead.
[
] In a modern military industry last 20 years Cyclotol can be used as filler and main charge most of
cluster submunition, especially with a
piezoelectric crystal igniter.
It was also used in the
Mecca Masjid bombing which killed 16 people.
References
{{Reflist
Explosives
Trinitrotoluene
sv:Hexotol