RAKSHA MANTRALAYA

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

JOINT SERVICES SPECIFICATION

ON

COMPOSITION EXPLODING (C. E)

JSS 1375-01:2004
(Revision No. 1)

MANAKIKARAN NIDESHALAYA
RAKSHA UTPADAN TATHA POORTI VIBHAG
RAKSHA MANTRALAYA, 'H' BLOCK, DHQ PO
NEW DELHI - 110 011

DIRECTORATE OF STANDARDISATION
DEPARTMENT OF PRODUCTION & SUPPLIES
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, 'H'- BLOCK, DHQ PO
NEW DELHI - 110 011

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 JSS 1375-01:2004
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RAKSHA MANTRALAYA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

JOINT SERVICES SPECIFICATION

ON

COMPOSITION EXPLODING (C. E)

MANAKIKARAN NIDESHALAYA
RAKSHA UTPADAN TATHA POORTI VIBHAG
RAKSHA MANT RALAYA,`H' BLOCK, DHQ PO
NEW DELHI - 110 011

DIRECTORATE OF STANDARDISATION
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE PRODUCTION AND SUPPLIES
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE,`H' BLOCK, DHQ PO
NEW DELHI - 110 011

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LIST OF MEMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH FORMULATION OF THIS STANDARD

This Joint Services Standard has been approved by Maj Gen K Mukherjee, Addl. DG
(WE), Chairman, Armament Standardisation Sub Committee by circulation.

2. The following members have been present/consulted in approving the document :-

Sl. Name & Designation Organisation

No.
1. - DGWE/GS(WE-2/3), Sena Bhavan
2. - Dte of Arty (GS/Arty-7), Sena Bhavan

3. - DGAS(Naval HQ)
4. - DGQA/Arm – 13, ‘H’ Block
5. - Dte of Armament and Safety
Equipment (Air HQ)
6. - DGEME (Army HQ), Sena Bhavan
7. Shri BP Kardam, Chief Draft man DGNAI, Naval HQ
8. Shri Jitendra Kumar, SSO-I DGAQA, H-Block
9. Shri RN Joshi, Dy Asst Controller CQA(ME), Pune
10. Lt Col TP Singh, Dy Controller CQA(Amn), Pune
11. Lt Col I M Singh, Dy Controller CQA(SA), Ichapur
12. - CQA(W), Jabalpur
13. - ARDE, Pune
14. - HEMRL, Pune
15 Shri V K Bhalekar, Works Manager AFK , Pune
16. Lt Col Narender Kumar DSC, Pune
17. Lt Col TS Virdi DSC, Ichapur
18. Sh. RL Wadhwa, Secy ASSC Dte of Standardisation,
New Delhi – 110 011

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RECORD OF AMENDMENTS

Amendment Amendment Authority Amended by

pertains to : Signature&
Sl. No./Para No./ Name & Appointment Date
No. Date
Column No. (IN BLOCK LETTERS)

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CONTENTS

Page No.
0. FOREWORD 1
1. SCOPE 2
2. RELATED SPECIFICATIONS 2
3. MATERIAL 4
4. MANUFACTURE 4
5. TENDER SAMPLE 4
6. PRE-INSPECTION OF STORES/CONSIGNMENT 4
7. QUALITY ASSURANCE 5
8. WARRANTY 8
9. PACKAGING 8
10. MARKING 9
11. SAFETY OF OPERATIONS 9
12. DEFENCE STORES CATALOGUE NUMBER 10
13. SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT 10
14. APPENDICES ‘A’ ‘B’ ‘C’ ‘D’ ‘E’ ‘F’ ‘G’ ‘H’ ‘J’ 11

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0. FOREWORD

0.1 This Joint Services Specification has been prepared by Armament Standardisation Sub
Committee on the authority of the Standardisation Committee, Ministry of Defence.

0.2 This specification has been approved by the Ministry of Defence and is mandatory for
use by the Defence Services.

0.3 The JSS 1375-01 was issued in Feb’ 1988 and was reaffirmed in 1993. The present
document is revision of JSS 1375-01: Feb’ 1988 and supersedes the same.

0.4 This specification would be used for manufacture, supply and quality assurance of
Composition Exploding Crystalline, Composition Exploding Dense, Composition Exploding
Dust, Composition Exploding Granulated, Type A and Composition Exploding, Granulated,
Type B.

0.5 Quality Assurance Authority for the item covered by this specification is the Controller,
Controllerate of Quality Assurance (Military Explosives), Aundh Road, Khadki,
Pune - 411 003. Enquiries regarding this specification relating to any contractual conditions
should be addressed to the Quality Assurance Authority named in the tender or contract.
Other enquiries should be referred to:-

The Director,
Directorate of Standardisation,
Ministry of Defence,
`H' Block, DHQ PO,
New Delhi - 110 011.

0.6 Copies of this specification can be obtained on payment from: -

The Director,
Directorate of Standardisation,
Standardisation Documents Centre,
Room No. 13 ‘J’ Block,
DHQ PO, New Delhi - 110 011

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1. SCOPE

1.1 This specification is meant to govern manufacture, supply and quality assurance of
Composition Exploding (C.E) of various grades.

i) CE, Crystalline and Crystalline, Dense suitable for use in fire channels of shutters
and magazines in fuzes.

ii) CE, Dust suitable for the manufacture of Plastic Explosive PEK1.
iii) CE, Granulated, Type ‘A’ suitable for Exploder Pellets.

iv) CE, Granulated, Type ‘B’ suitable for filling of detonators.

v) CE, Granulated, Wet, suitable for Wet Crushing for making of CE, Dust for
PEK1.

2. RELATED SPECIFICATIONS

2.1 Reference is made in this specification to: -

IS 138 : 1992 - Ready Mixed Paint, Marking, for

Packages and Petrol Containers -
Specification
(Third Revision)
Reaffirmed 1999 Amds 1

IS 168 :1993 - Ready mixed paint, air drying, for general

purpose –Specification
(Third Revision)

IS 460 : Part 1 : 1985 - Specification for test sieves: Part 1

Wire cloth test sieves
(Third Revision)
Reaffirmed 1998

JSS 6810-85:2004 - Dimethylaniline

(Revision No. 1)

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IND/ME/9 - Bag, CE, 23 Kg, Mk 1

IND/ME/892 - Sulphite Soap

CIME/Drg/213 - Case, HE, Mk 1, A/L wood

CIME/Stencil/34 - Marking HE Mk 1 A/L

2.2 Copies of the Indian Standards are obtainable on payment from: -

Bureau of Indian Standards,

Manak Bhavan,
9, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi - 110 002

or

their regional/branch offices.

2.3 Copies of JSS are obtainable on payment from: -

The Director,
Directorate of Standardisation,
Standardisation Documents Centre,
Room No. 13 ‘J’ Block,
DHQ PO, New Delhi - 110 011

2.4 Copies of IND/ME Specifications, CIME/Drg/213 and CIME/Stencil/34 are obtainable

on payment from: -

The Controller,
Controllerate of Quality Assurance (Military Explosives)
Aundh Road, Khadki,
Pune – 411 003.

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3. MATERIAL

3.1 Composition Exploding shall consist entirely of 2:4:6 Trinitro-phenyl-methyl-nitromine,

free from foreign matter, visible impurities and needle shaped or sharp crystals.

3.2 CE, Crystalline and Crystalline, Dense shall consist of pale yellow crystals, CE dust shall
be wet-ground powder, CE, granulated shall be yellow crystals granulated without addition of
any other substances.

4. MANUFACTURE

4.1 Composition Exploding shall be manufactured by a process which has received

authoritative approval. The Quality Assurance Officer or Quality Assurance Authority shall be
informed regarding the process used and shall be given prior notification of any proposed
deviation there from. All deviations from the approved process however slight, shall be recorded
immediately and all material affected shall be set aside pending the decision of the Quality
Assurance Officer/ Quality Assurance Authority.

4.2 Dimethylaniline shall be nitrated by a method which has the approval of the competent
authority. The dimethylaniline shall conform to specification JSS 6810-85 (Amended to date).

5. *TENDER SAMPLE

5.1 The manufacturer/supplier/Contractor shall submit two tender samples each of 200 g
essentially from the same batch/ lot/ consignment of manufacture free of al charges and
conforming to this specification, to the Quality Assurance Officer/Quality Assurance Authority
as stated in the tender/ contract.

* Not applicable when the store is manufactured in Ordnance Factories.

6. PRE-INSPECTION OF STORES/CONSIGNMENT

6.1 Manufacturers/Contractors must satisfy themselves that the stores are in accordance with
the terms of the contract and fully conform to the required specification, by carrying out a
thorough pre-inspection of each lot before actually tendering the same for inspection to the
Quality Assurance Officer nominated under the terms of the contract. A declaration by the
contractor that a necessary pre-inspection has been carried out on the stores tendered will be
submitted alongwith the challan. The declaration will also indicate the method followed in
carrying out pre-inspection showing the features checked/tested and will have the test certificate
attached to the challan/declaration.

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6.2 If the Quality Assurance Officer finds that the pre-inspection of the consignment as
required above has not been carried out, the consignment is liable for rejection.

7. QUALITY ASSURANCE

7.1 Inspection

7.1.1 Composition Exploding and the packages in which it is packed shall be subject to
inspection by and the approval of the Quality Assurance Officer / Quality Assurance Authority.

7.1.2 Samples of the material and the packages may be drawn from any portion of the
batch/lot/consignment.

7.1.3 If, on examination, any sample be found not to conform to this specification, the whole
batch/lot/consignment may be rejected.

7.1.4 The foregoing provisions shall equally apply to prime contractors and sub-contractors, if
any.

7.2 Sampling

7.2.1 Normally two representative samples each of 200g, shall be drawn from each batch/lot/
consignment of supply/ manufacture. However, the number of samples to be drawn shall be at
the discretion of the Quality Assurance Officer /Quality Assurance Authority.

7.2.2 All precautionary measures as laid out in the standing Instructions of the section shall be
strictly complied with. In the absence of these, instructions from the Quality Assurance Officer
shall be sought.

7.2.3 The samples shall be stored in rubber stoppered glass bottles or in rubberised linen bags.

7.3 Test Requirements

7.3.1 Samples taken from any portion of the batch lot/consignment of the material shall
conform with clause 3 and 4 above and shall conform to the test requirements shown in the
following table :-

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Test requirements of Composition Exploding

Sl Characteristic Passing Standard Test Method

No.
1 2 3 4

1 Volatile Matter, Max 0.10 Appendix `A'

per cent by mass

2 Matter insoluble in Benzene, Appendix `B'

i) Total, per cent by mass Max 0.07

ii) Inorganic, per cent by mass Max 0.03

3 Matter insoluble in Acetone, Appendix `C'

a) Total per cent by mass Max 0.0035

b) CE Wet granulated Max 0.0035

c) Gritty particles retained on 425 Nil

micrometre IS Sieve

d) Gritty particles retained on 250 Max 5

micrometre IS Sieve particles/50g

4 Acidity, calculated as Nitric acid Max 0.005 Appendix ‘D’

HNO3 per cent by mass

5 Melting point, deg C Min 128.5 Appendix ‘E’

Max 129.1

6 Heat test, minutes Min 20.0 Appendix ‘F’

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1 2 3 4

7 Vacuum stability test Appendix ‘G’

i) At 120OC/40h,ml, per 5 g

a) CE Crystalline and CE Max 5.0

Crystalline dense
b) CE Granulated Max 7.0
ii) At 100OC /40 h, ml, per 5g
CE, Dust Max 1.0

8 Sieving As per Appendix ‘H’ Appendix ‘H’

9 Bulk density, g/cm3 Min 0.90 Appendix ‘J’

Note: 1. Particulars of IS Sieves shall be as per IS : 460 - Part 1

2. Bulk density shall apply to CE, Crystalline, dense only.

3. CE has toxic action on the skin and mucuous membrane, hence contact with skin
and inhalation of dust shall be avoided. Use of fume cupboard and cotton pad
respirator shall be mandatory.

4. after working respirator with CE, the hands and face shall be washed well with
sulphite soap conforming to specification IND?ME/892 and preferably with hot
water.

5. When the bulk material is offered in wet condition (for wet crushing for
manufacture of CE dust, for PEK 1), the samples shall be dried in a boiling water
oven for six hours and the samples shall then be tested to the above requirements
except for volatile matter& sieve size.

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6. From a batch / lot/consignment, samples from all the bags shall be tested for
volatile matter.

7. Before tendering the store for inspection the supplier shall carry out a thorough
inspection of each delivery to satisfy himself that the store fully conforms to this
specification and shall render a certificate* to that effect to the Quality Assurance
Officer/ Quality Assurance Authority

8. *WARRANTY

8.1 The store supplied against this specification shall be deemed to bear warranty for 12
months from the date of receipt of store at consignee’s end and against defective
design/material/workmanship/performance. If during this period any of the stores supplied is
found defective, the same shall be rectified/replaced by the contractor, free of charge, at the
user’s premises within a period of three months from date of intimation of defect.

* Not applicable when the store is manufactured in ordnance Factories.

9. PACKAGING

9.1 The material required to be dispatched outside the factory shall be packed in drill cloth
bags or rubberized fabric bags conforming to drawing IND/ME/9. The bags shall be closed and
placed in a wooden case/ box conforming to drawing CIME/Drg/213. The quantity per package
shall not exceed 25 kg.

9.2 Any other form of packages shall have the prior approval of the Quality Assurance
Officer/Quality Assurance Authority.

9.3 The inclusion of foreign matter or impurities in any of the packages shall render the
whole batch/lot/consignment liable to rejection.

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10. MARKING

10.1 All packages containing the material shall be indelibly and legibly marked with the
following details :-

i) Package should be marked `INFLAMABLE' in red colour

ii) Nomenclature and specification No. of the material.
iii) Name and address of the consignee.
iv) A.T. or S.O. No. and date.
v) Consignment No.
vi) Lot No. and date of manufacture.
vii) Gross and net mass.
viii) Consecutive No. of package and total number of packages in the consignment.
*ix) Date of supply
x) Manufacturer's name and initial or his recognised trade mark.

* Not applicable when the store is manufactured in Ordnance Factories.

10.2 In addition to the above, the Quality Assurance Officer may suggest some more
markings/identifications suitable at the time of inspection.

10.3 The paint used for marking should conform to IS 138 and to the satisfaction of the
Quality Assurance Officer/Quality Assurance Authority.

10.4 UN Hazard Division 1.1 D marking of approved pattern shall be affixed to each container
by means of a stencil or a prescribed label.

Note: Marking on the cases HE Mk1 A/L shall be in accordance with Drg. No.
CIME/Stencil/34.

10.5 The paint used for painting the containers shall be Olive Green colour ISC 220 and shall
conform to IS 168.

11. SAFETY OF OPERATIONS

11.1 Nothing in this specification shall relieve the contractor, manufacturer, supplier or user of
his responsibility for the safety of operations in manufacture, storage, transit or use of operations
in manufacture, storage, transit or use of this store.

11.2 Safety Certificate No. SC/HE/65/48 shall apply for this store. The same is obtainable
from CQA (ME) Kirkee, Aundh Road, Pune – 411 003.

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12. DEFENCE STORES CATALOGUE NUMBER

12.1 The Defence Stores Catalogue Number allotted to these stores are as follows:-

1. Composition Exploding, Crystalline - 1375-000 191

2. Composition Exploding, Crystalline, - 1375-000 192

Dense

3. Composition Exploding, Dust - 1375-000 193

4. Composition Exploding, Granulated, - 1375-000 194

Type A (Size, 1.18 mm / 150
micrometre

5. Composition Exploding, Granulated, - 1375-000 225

Type B (Size 425 micrometre/150
micrometre

13. SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT

13.1 Any suggestion for improvement in this document may be forwarded to: -

The Director,
Directorate of Standardisation,
Ministry of Defence,
`H' Block, DHQ PO,
New Delhi - 110 011.

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APPENDIX ‘A’

A. DETERMINATION OF VOLATILE MATTER

A.1 Transfer about 10 g of the sample to a clean, dry aluminium dish which has been weighed
(M1). Place the lid on the dish and weigh accurately (M2). Place the dish and its lid side by side
in a boiling water oven for 6 hours. Replace the lid, cool in a desiccator to room temperature and
reweigh (M3) and calculate the percentage loss in mass.

(M2 – M3) x 100

Percentage volatile matter = -------------------------
M2 – M1

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APPENDIX ‘B’

B. DETERMINATION OF MATTER INSOLUBLE IN BENZENE

B.1 Weigh accurately about 10 g of the sample into a 400 ml beaker, add 200 ml of hot
Benzene and let sample dissolve completely. Warm if necessary on a water bath. Do not boil.
Filter through a tared gooch crucible. Wash with warm Benzene, dry in an air oven at 100OC,
cool in a desiccator and weigh.

Mass of residue x 100

Percentage of total insoluble matter = ------------------------------------
Mass of sample taken

Now, ignite the crucible on a burner and then in a muffle furnace at 800OC for ten
minutes, cool in air till safe to transfer to a desiccator, cool to room temperature and reweigh.

Percentage of Inorganic
matter insoluble in Benzene = Mass of residue x 100
-----------------------------
Mass of sample taken

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APPENDIX ‘C’

C. DETERMINATION OF MATTER INSOLUBLE IN ACETONE

C.1 Weigh accurately about 50 g of the sample into a 400 ml beaker. Add 250 ml Acetone
and warm gently to dissolve. Let settle for 30 minutes, cautiously decant off the supernatant
solution, together with floating particles, if any, till about 15 ml remain in the beaker. Add 100
ml more of Acetone and repeat decantation after settling for 15 minutes. Add further 250 ml of
hot water, boil for 15 minutes and allow to settle for 15 minutes and decant until about 5 ml
remain. Repeat with a further 100 ml of Acetone, decanting oil after 10 minutes settling, till only
15 ml remain. Brush the residue on to a tared watch glass (M1) after boiling off the Acetone over
a boiling water oven. Weigh again (M2).

(M2 – M1) x 100

Percentage total insoluble matter = ---------------------------
Mass of sample

NOTE : The contents of the beaker may be agitated by swirling only,

glass rods shall not be used.

Gritty Particles : Prepare a nest of sieves 425 micrometre and 250 micrometre IS Sieves.
Transfer the insoluble matter from above to the 425 micrometre sieve and gently brush with a
camel hair brush, for three minutes. Weigh the matter retained and report as percentage of
original sample.

Sieve the material on the 250 micrometre sieve with a suitable camel hair brush, for
three minutes. Count the number of particles retained and report per 50 g sample.

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APPENDIX ‘D’

D. DETERMINATION OF ACIDITY

D.1 Weigh accurately about 10 g of the sample into a 500 ml conical flask, add 100 ml
distilled water and boil for ten minutes under reflux. Filter and wash well with water, collecting
the filtrate and washings in a 250 ml flask. Titrate the filtrate against standard 0.02 N Sodium
hydroxide solution (t1), using phenolphthalein as an indicator. Carry out a blank test side by side
(t2).

Percentage of Acidity as Nitric acid HNO3

(t1 – t2) x 0.126 x factor of 0.02 N NaOH

= -----------------------------------------------------
Mass of sample taken

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APPENDIX ‘E’

E. DETERMINATION OF MELTING POINT

E.1 Finely grind about 1 g of the sample in an agate mortar, spread the ground material on a
small watch glass and dry in a boiling water oven for 2 hours. Cool in a desiccator to room
temperature before use. Fill a capillary tube to a height of 8 to 10 mm with the dried sample.
Place the tube in a melting point cage attached to standard thermometer 125 to 135 OC range and
graduated in 0.1OC. Raise the temperature of the liquid paraffin bath and maintain at 127 to
127.5 OC. By means of a slotted cork, support the standard thermometer, with the melting point
cage attached centrally in the inner tube in such a way that its bulk is about 25 mm above the
bottom. Readjust the flame so that the temperature of the bath rises at the rate of 0.1 OC per
minute to 128.5OC. Continue heating at the slowest possible rate, maintaining the difference
between the temperature and that of the standard thermometer is 0.3 OC or less.

E.2 The beginning of melting is indicated by shrinkage of the column of the sample in the
tube and fusion of fine particles adhering to the wall of the tube above the sample. Record the
temperature at which it is judged that half the sample has melted as the melting point of the
sample.

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APPENDIX ‘F’

F. HEAT TEST

F.1 The test is carried out by heating 1.5 g of the sample to 100 OC. Details of the test can be
obtained from CQA (ME), Aundh Road, Kirkee, Pune – 411 003.

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APPENDIX ‘G’

G. VACUUM STABILITY TEST

G.1 The test is carried out on a 5 g sample heated in vacuum at 100 OC for 40 hours for CE
dust and 120 OC for 40 hours for CE Crystalline, Crystalline dense and Granulated. The volume
of gas evolved at the end of the period is calculated to STP and expressed in ml as the vacuum
stability.

G.2 Details of the test, drawings of apparatus etc, can be obtained from CQA (ME), Aundh
Road, Kirkee, Pune – 411 003.

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APPENDIX ‘H’

H. SIEVING

H.1 Prepare a nest of the sieves specified, placing the coarser sieve on the top, with less –
coarser ones below. Place an accurate weighed portion of about 20 g of the sample, on the
coarser sieve first and brush gently for fifteen minutes, using a suitable camel hair brush.

H.2 Report the sum total of all the material retained on the sieve in question, along with the
quantity retained on the sieves on top as a percentage material retained on the total sample taken
for the test

The sample shall conform to the following sieve requirements: -

SI. Type RETAINED ON MICROMETER

No. 1.18 mm 425 150 125 106 75
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1. CE, Crystalline - Nil - - - -

2. CE, Cryst. Dense - Nil - - - -

3. CE, Dust Max - - - 5.0 10.0 75.0

4. CE Granulated Type A Nil - 90.0 - - -

5. CE Granulated Type B - Nil 90.0 - - -

Notes: 1. For sieves particulars refer to IS: 460-Part 1

2. All figures given above are minimum required except at

SI No. 3 which are maximum required.

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APPENDIX ‘J’

J. DETERMINATION OF BULK DENSITY

J.1 Take a glass cylinder of 100 ml with 0.5 ml graduations and 32 mm diameter. Pour into it
50 g sample accurately weighed and stoppered with a cork. Drop the cylinder vertically from a
height of 65 mm on to a piece of hard leather 50 times. Level off the surface with the minimum
of tapping and read off the volume.

Mass of sample
Bulk Density = -------------------
Volume of sample

The above procedure is conveniently arranged by sliding the glass cylinder through two
wooden filter stand rings clamped one above the other on the same support, Lower ring being so
arranged so as to limit the travel of the cylinder to 654 mm.

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