China tests non-nuclear hydrogen bomb, research says

Chinese researchers have successfully conducted a controlled field test of a non-nuclear, hydrogen-based explosive device, unleashing powerful chemical chain reactions, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday.

According to a recent study, the 2kg (4.4lbs) hydrogen-based bomb generated a fireball exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit) and sustained it for more than two seconds. The blast lasted 15 times longer than a comparable TNT explosion and was conducted without the use of any nuclear material.

The device was developed by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a key player in underwater weapons development. It uses a magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage material to achieve its explosive effect.

Triggered by conventional explosives, the material underwent rapid thermal decomposition, releasing hydrogen gas that ignited into a prolonged, high-temperature fireball, according to the study published in the Chinese-language Journal of Projectiles, Rockets, Missiles and Guidance.

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

“This combination allows precise control over blast intensity, easily achieving uniform destruction of targets across vast areas.”

The research noted that the hydrogen bomb can cause extended thermal damage due to its white-hot fireball, capable of melting aluminum alloys. By comparison, TNT explosions typically produce a flash that lasts only about 0.12 seconds.