As tension between China and Taiwan grows daily, China’s recent development of a non-nuclear hydrogen bomb has added a new layer of uncertainty.
In April, researchers in China created a controlled field to detonate a hydrogen explosive bomb that produced devastating results but without nuclear materials. Created by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) 705 Research Institute, the device is 2kg (4.4 lbs) and has a firing temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit) for a total of two seconds. By comparison, this bomb’s short duration is 15 times longer than any TNT blast, while including no atomic components.
Instead, the new device uses a magnesium hydride compound. Magnesium hydride can uniquely store hydrogen in amounts exceeding a pressurized tank’s. This silvery powder was initially designed to deliver hydrogen to off-grid locations, where it could be used to power fuel cells for clean energy and heating.
CSSC research scientist Wang Xuefeng, the study lead, says, “Hydrogen gas explosions ignite with minimal ignition energy, have a broad explosion range, and unleash flames that race outward rapidly while spreading widely.”
Developing a Non-Nuclear Hydrogen Bomb
When regular explosives were set off, the magnesium hydride rapidly broke apart from the heat and released hydrogen gas, which then caught fire and burned for a long period of time, according to researchers in a peer-reviewed Chinese journal.
According to the study, the hydrogen bomb causes much longer-lasting heat damage than TNT because its fireball (hot enough to melt aluminum) burns far longer than TNT’s quick 0.12-second flash.
Wang and his team’s experiments showed the bomb’s potential as a directed energy weapon. In tests, the blast’s overpressure hit 428.43 kilopascals at two meters, which is about 40% of TNT’s, but with a significantly wider range of heat impact.
The researchers also explored other military uses for the weapon, such as blanketing wide areas with intense heat or directing its energy toward high-value targets for destruction. The study states the chain reaction starts when the detonation’s shock waves break magnesium hydride into tiny particles. This triggers thermal decomposition, quickly releasing hydrogen gas that will then mix with air. Once it hits the explosive range, the gas ignites, releasing heat. Next, heat drives more decomposition, creating a self-sustaining cycle of fracturing, then hydrogen release, and combustion until the fuel runs out.
The paper did not disclose the source of magnesium hydride used in the tests or clarify the circumstances under which the People’s Republic of China’s military could use the destructive weapon. Until recently, magnesium hydride was difficult to produce, with only a few grams made daily in lab settings because of its high temperatures and pressure and the risk of deadly explosions if exposed to air during production.
China also continues to uphold its “no first use” nuclear policy, which has been in place since its first atomic test over 60 years ago. This year, China opened a plant in Shaanxi that annually produces 150 tonnes of magnesium hydride. Developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, the company uses a cost-effective “one-pot synthesis” approach, notes the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
As China advances its military capabilities with weapons like a new hydrogen bomb, the tense situation across the Taiwan Strait grows, raising concerns about the potential for escalation and, ultimately, the possibility of invasion.
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com.