CL-20 Research by Zhongbei University Team in China
Mixing Carbonized Mantou Improves Performance and Stability
Chinese scientists have discovered a new method to enhance the destructive power and stability of the most powerful non-nuclear explosive currently available by using steamed buns.
On the 16th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that a research team led by Professor Chao Xiong of Zhongbei University’s Chemical Engineering Department introduced this technology in a paper published in the Chinese Journal of Ordnance Equipment Engineering last November.
China began research on CL-20 (Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane), the most destructive non-nuclear explosive currently available, in the 1970s. This substance has the second highest destructive power after nuclear weapons. Since then, Chinese scientists have developed groundbreaking technology to mass-produce CL-20 at a low cost.
The power of CL-20 increases when certain substances are added, but this also significantly increases its instability. To prevent these side effects, scientists used advanced nanomaterials such as graphene, but these materials were not cost-effective for large-scale use in combat.
Chinese scientists found a new solution in an unexpected material: mantou (steamed buns), a staple food of northern Chinese residents. The scientists purchased six mantou for just one US dollar (about 1450 won) from Zhongbei University’s cafeteria for their research. They mixed the mantou, carbonized by baking in an oven at 1100 degrees Celsius for two hours, with the CL-20 explosive. As a result, the explosive performance improved, and the risk of accidental explosions was greatly reduced, increasing safety by up to four times.
An energy materials scientist in Beijing said, "It is like a magician turning the angry king of explosives (CL-20) into a beautiful queen," adding, "The magic wand he used (mantou) costs less than one dollar." Scientists expect that this method will not only increase the lethality of China’s conventional warheads but also extend the range of supersonic missiles by 20%.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense is known to have doubled its research and development on CL-20 in recent years in response to China’s 'military rise.' SCMP explained that although the US Navy claimed to have synthesized CL-20 in 1987, it did not disclose the molecular formula until 1996, and due to high costs and production difficulties, this explosive was not used.
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