Polymer-bonded Explosive - Potential Advantages

Potential Advantages

Polymer-bonded explosives have several potential advantages:

• If the polymer matrix is an elastomer (rubbery material), it tends to absorb shocks, making the PBX very insensitive to accidental detonation, and thus ideal for insensitive munitions.
• Hard polymers can produce PBX that is very rigid and maintains a precise engineering shape even under severe stress.
• PBX powders can be pressed into a particular shape at room temperature, when casting normally requires hazardous melting of the explosive. High pressure pressing can achieve density for the material very close to the theoretical crystal density of the base explosive material.
• Many PBXes are safe to machine — to turn solid blocks into complex three-dimensional shapes. For example, a billet of PBX can, if necessary, be precisely shaped on a lathe. This technique is used to machine explosive lenses necessary for modern nuclear weapons.