Chinese researchers have successfully tested a hydrogen-based explosive device, triggering devastating chemical reactions without the use of nuclear materials, a study has shown.
The two-kilogram explosive device created a fireball whose temperature exceeded one thousand degrees Celsius and lasted more than two seconds – 15 times longer than TNT explosions, without using any nuclear materials, the study said, according to the South China Morning Post.
The device was developed by the 705th Research Institute of the China Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), a key player in underwater weapons systems, and uses magnesium hydride, a solid-state hydrogen storage material, Tanjug reported.
The bomb can cause prolonged thermal damage because the fireball it creates, hot enough to melt aluminum alloys, lasts much longer than TNT’s brief, 0.12-second flash, the study said.
Thermal decomposition quickly releases hydrogen gas, which mixes with the surrounding air. It is unclear under what conditions the People’s Liberation Army of China could use this weapon, Al Jazeera reports.
