Abstract: Recycle of spent acid in nitrolysis of hexamine to RDX is accomplished un conditions, which avoid or minimize the need to process the spent acid through conventional costly recovery operations and result in little, if any, reduction of RDX yield. The conditions include(a) effecting the simmering in spent acid containing between 0% and 2% water;(b) recycling at least part of the spent acid of 0-2% water content to dissolve the hexamine reactant; and(c) preferably also recycling a part of the spent acid, after elimination of any water contained therein with acetic anhydride, to the heel to which the reactants are added in the nitrolysis of hexamine to RDX.

Abstract: Finely divided pellets or granules are formed from a molten explosive comition by a combination of spray chilling and prilling techniques, which comprises atomizing the molten explosive composition in a high velocity stream of an inert gas such as air and allowing the atomized droplets to fall through a tower countercurrent to a stream of an inert gas to cool the droplets to form solid pellets. The process is advantageously employed for producing meltable explosive materials, e.g., Composition B, in the form of free flowing spherical pellets of high density and uniform composition.