Canada’s MREL Specialty Explosive Products Limited introduces a new approach to neutralizing landmines and UXO

Anderson, C.J. (John)

Bauer, A.W. (Bill)

English

James Madison University

Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 5 Issue 2 The Journal of Mine Action Article 32 August 2001 FIXOR: A New Approach to Neutralizing Landmines and UXO C.J. (John) Anderson MREL Specialty Explosive Products Limited A.W. (Bill) Bauer MREL Specialty Explosive Products Limited Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal  Part of the Defense and Security Studies Commons, Emergency and Disaster Management Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, C.J. (John) and Bauer, A.W. (Bill) (2001) "FIXOR: A New Approach to Neutralizing Landmines and UXO," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 5 : Iss. 2 , Article 32. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol5/iss2/32 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact dc_admin@jmu.edu. FEATURE FIXO R: A New Approach to Neutralizing Landmines and UXO Canada's MREL Specialty Explosive Products Limited intro-duces a new approach to neutralizing landmines and UXO. By C.J. (John) Anderson, Manager, Explosives Research and Development and A.W. (Bill) Bauer, Vice President, MREL Specialty Explosive Products Limited MREL Specialty Explosive Products Limited has developed FIXOR™, a new ap-proach to neutralizing landmines and UXO. The product consists of two precursors: a flammable liquid in one plastic container and a totally inert powder in another. Nei-ther of these precursors is classified as an explosive. Both precursors are approved for transport by land, sea, cargo and passenger of more than 75 field trials by MREL Spe-cialty Explosive Products Limited at Cana-dian and American defense facilities and in an international venue (Kosovo) . The trials demonstrated that FIXOR is effective against a wide variety oflandmi nes and other munitions. The trials also confirmed that the product is much safer to handle and trans-port than conventional explosives. Introduction Since 1984, the MREL Group of Com-panies has been conducting research on the effectiveness of explosive dusts, explosive system has been termed FIXOR, an acro-nym for Field-friendly, Inexpensive, uneXploded Ordnance Remover. Several test programs involving the use of FIXOR against a variety oflandmines and UXO have been conducted. FIXOR FIXOR is a binary flammable liquid-based explosive kit that has been designed to complement or replace the use of pur-chased plastic explosives and block TNT as traditional demining and UXO explosive charges. As shown in Figure I, FIXOR con-sists of two precursors: a flammable liquid (FIXOR Liquid, U.N. 2842, NSN 1375-21-920-4587) in one 500 ml plastic con-tainer and a totally inert powder (FIXOR There are always security concerns when explosives are transported and stored, and these concerns are intensified in peacekeeping operations where explosives could fall into the wrong hands. airfreight. Before placement next to the UXO or landmine, they are mixed to form an explosive. A blasting cap or detonating cord causes initiation. The detonation velocity and detonation pressure for the explosive mixture have been determined using experimental techniques and/or theoretical calculations. The use of FIX. OR as an explosive neutralization device for landmines and UXO in humanitarian demining scenarios involved the evaluation • Figure 1. FIXOR counter-force or "earmuff" at-tack configura t ion. foams, explosive liquids and shaped charges against landmines for eventual integration into minefield breaching and minefield-clearance systems. In 1998, the explosives research efforts turned to development of a two-component (binary) explosive system. The goal was to use relatively inexpensive components that were not explosive and could be easily trans-ported around the world by commercial air-freight with minimal logistics and at a low cost. In addition, the components would be easily mixed at the minefield to produce an explosive that could substitute for the more expensive plastic and block TNT explosives commonly used to destroy landmines and UXO. This technique is known as "blow in place" or BIP. In November 1998, the research efforts resulted in the successful detonation of a binary explosive system. Further investiga-tions have characterized and customized the system with the eventual goal of indepen-dent verification of its performance against landmines and UXO. Patents are pending. This newly-developed binary explosive • 86. Powder, NSN 1375-21-920-4638) in an-other 500 ml plastic container. Unlike bi-nary nitromethane-based explosives, both FIXOR precursors are formally approved for transport by land, sea and commercial pas-senger airfreight. In the country of use, FIXOR can be stored and transported as a flammable liq-uid and changed into an explosive by the deminer at the minefield when required. The precursors are mixed to form a Class 1.1 D explosive (FIXOR Explosive, U.N. 0048) immediately prior to placement next to the UXO or landmine. Initiation and detona-tion of the FIXOR Explosive occurs by blast-ing cap or detonating cord. The goal of the FIXOR is to cause sympathetic detonation of the landmine or UXO immediately upon detonation of the FIXOR Explosive. FIXOR precursors do not form an ex-plosive until the contents of the two bottles are thoroughly mixed together. Therefore, if the contents of FIXOR precursors or FIXOR Explosive are spilled, they are not harmful to the deminer or to the environ-ment. FIXOR Explosive is very safe to handle and deploy; however, it must be rreated with respect since it is a detonator-sensitive explosive. After several hours of remaining unshaken, FIXOR will not deto-nate when fired by a detonator or by a deto-nating cord. This design makes FIXOR an unlikely candidate for misuse by hostile groups as a "booby-trap" or terrorist device. Unless FIXOR is re-shaken, it will only act as a flammable liquid. FIXOR has been designed to integrate seamlesslywith demining training methods and operating procedures in use through-out the world. FIXORs are easily and safely deployable by indigenous deminers and re-quire no ongoing field technical support. T hey are also fully functional under all demining weather conditions. The diagram on this page (see Figure 2) is a schematic illustration of the procedure for making FIXOR Explosive at the clearance sire. Combination of FIXOR Products When the liquid and powder compo-nents are combined as shown in Figure 2, the resulting mixture is a "cap-sensitive" ex-plosive. The velocity of detonation (VOD) fo r this mixture was determined to be ap-proximately 4300 m/s when placed in a plas-tic (PVC) rube with a 5 em inner diameter. T he VOD trace acquired using the continu-ous-resistance wire technique compares well wi th a calculated value of 4333 m/s, ob-tained using CHEETAH 2.0 with rhe BKWC library1• The estimated detonation pressure for this mixture is on the order of F!XOR Liquid a) Color: red b) NATO Srock Number: 1375-2 1-920-4587 c) Classification: Class 3 Flammable Liquid, U.N. 2842. Packing Group III d) Health/Environmental Concerns: use in ventilated areas or outdoors, MSDS is available e) Inner Packaging: 500 ml plastic bottle with re-movable plastic lid. L x W x H (inches): 3 x 2 • x 6 f) Shelf life: indefinite g) Settling: shake to remix before adding to FIXO R Powder h) Outer Packaging: Complies with U.N. require-ments for commercial air transport of flam mable liquids. U.N. Approved 4GVfX22.7/S/99. 24 hordes per box i) Box dimensions (inches): 23f x 15 x 10-40---44 kbar, using either CHEE-TAH 2.0 or a typical formula to estimate the pressure (P = dD2/4, where d is formulation density and D is the velocity of detona-tion)2. In addition, air-blast mea-surements have been conducted. This method's results indicate that the TNT equivalency of FIXOR is of the order of 80-85 percent TNT. It should be noted that the use of other methods for this mea-surement would undoubtedly provide somewhat different re-sults based on the differences in brisance that exist between TNT and FIXOR. Effectiveness of FIXOR Against Landmines and UXO Three basic configurations for neutral-ization of landmines/ordnance can be uti-lized. These configurations allow increasing amounts of explosive power (shock) to be imparted to the target, depending on the hardness/roughness of the target casing. Standard Attack Configuration The standard attack configuration in-volves placement of one FIXOR adjacent to a target. This method is typically used for small, plastic-encased AP landmines. A# 12 equivalent detonator (> 0.8 g PETN) or knotted detonating cord is used to initiate the FIXOR. Technical Characteristics of FIXOR j) Gross weight per box: 30.91b. k) Net weight of flammable liquid per box: l8.7lb. FIXOR Powder a) Color: o range/white b) NATO Srock Number: 1375-21-920-4638 c) Classification: inert powder d) Health/Environmental concerns: none e) Inner Packaging: 500 ml plastic borde with remov-able plastic lid. Lid is prepared for detonator/detO-nating cord insertion. L x W x H (in inches): 3 x 2 J x6 f) Shelflife: indefinite g) Seeding: shake to loosen powder before adding FIXO R Liquid h) Omer packaging: 24 bottles per box i) Box dimensions (inches): 20 x 9[ x 6" j) Gross weight per box: 5.6 lb • 87. FEATURE • Figure 2 Schematic direct ions for t he use of FIXOR. Counterforce or "Earmuff" Attack Configu-ration The counterforce or "earmuff " attack configuration involves the placement of two FIXORs on opposite sides of a target. This configuration is typically used for larger AP mines and various plastic or thin steel-cased (but not hardened) AT landmines. Figure 1 shows this attack configuration against a TMA-5 landmine. Knotted deto.nating cord lines (or "sensitized detonating cord" -deto-nator double crimped on the cord end) are used for simultaneous initiation of the FIXORs. This method of initiation ensures simultaneous detonation of more than one continued on page 112 F!XOR Explosive a) Color: orange b) Classificat ion: Class 1.1 D explosive, Charges, demolition U.N . 0048 c) Net Explosive Weight: 0.9 lb. d) Density: 0.9 glee e) Velocity: 4,300 rnfs (14,1 00 ft./sec.) based on test-ing to date f) TNT Equivalency: approximatel y 80-85 percent by weight based on air-blast g) Operational Temperature Range (tested) : -20• to 110• F (-30• ro 40• C) h) Operational time: within two hours of mixing, or remix by shaking before detonating i) Shelf life: indefinite j) Initiation: ULI ("hangman") knotted 50 grain/ft . detonating cord or detonator (0.8 g PETN) 1Anderson and Bauer: FIXOR: A New Approach to Neutralizing Landmines and UXOPublished by JMU Scholarly Commons, 20012Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 5, Iss. 2 [2001], Art. 32https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol5/iss2/32

FIXOR: A New Approach to Neutralizing Landmines and UXO

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FIXOR: A New Approach to Neutralizing Landmines and UXO

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