The standard proportions of ingredients (by weight) are 59.5% RDX (
detonation velocity of 8,750 m/s) and 39.5% TNT (detonation velocity of 6,900 m/s),
phlegmatized with 1%
paraffin wax.[4] Most commonly it is described as 60/40 RDX/TNT with 1% wax added.
Composition B was extremely common in
western nations' munitions and was the standard explosive filler from early
World War II until the early 1950s, when less sensitive explosives such as
Composition H6 began to replace it in many weapons.[citation needed] M65 bombs from 1953 containing degraded Composition B were responsible for much of the damage in the 1967
USS Forrestal fire.
Some
NATO-approved munitions suppliers such as
Mecar have continued to use Composition B in their products.
Composition B is related to
Cyclotol, which has a higher proportion of RDX (up to 75%).
IMX-101 is slowly replacing Comp B in US military artillery shells, and IMX-104 [5] in mortar rounds and hand grenades.
M107 projectiles. All are labelled to indicate a filling of "Comp B" and have
fuzes fitted.
A 40 lb (18 kg)
shaped charge munition (marked to indicate a Composition B filling) used for various demolition purposes such as boring a hole for a cratering charge.
The 106mm recoilless rifle
HEAT shell on the right is marked "Comp B".