On the Nature of Things

China explodes massive non-nuclear hydrogen bomb that can melt high-value targets: Report
FP News Desk • April 20, 2025, 17:42:30 IST
The chain reaction reportedly produced a fireball exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius lasting more than two seconds. The device can be deployed when situation demands covering a large area with intense heat and focusing its power on high-value targets to destroy them
China explodes massive non-nuclear hydrogen bomb that can melt high-value targets: Report
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Chinese scientists may have tested a hydrogen-based explosive device, triggering massive chemical chain reactions without using any nuclear materials, SCMP reported, citing a study published last month. According to the research paper, the chain reaction produced a fireball exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius lasting more than two seconds.

The device was reportedly built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) 705 Research Institute. The SCMP report said that the device used “a magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage material.”

Magnesium-based hydrogen storage material
The material is actually a silvery powder, which can hold a much higher volume of hydrogen in a compact form. In the paper, scientists described how, when triggered by standard explosives, the material rapidly breaks down and releases hydrogen gas. This gas then ignites, creating an intense and sustained flame.

Such a mechanism could potentially be used in high-energy propulsion systems or advanced weapons due to its compactness and energy density.

The researchers wrote, “Hydrogen gas explosions ignite with minimal ignition energy, have a broad explosion range, and unleash flames that race outward rapidly while spreading widely.”