China has successfully tested a new type of non-nuclear hydrogen bomb that may redefine modern explosives. The device, weighing just 2 kilograms, created a scorching fireball that exceeded 1,000°C and persisted for more than two seconds about 15 times longer than a TNT explosion of similar weight. What makes this bomb particularly groundbreaking is that it doesn’t rely on nuclear fusion or fission, yet it produces devastating heat effects strong enough to melt common metals like aluminum.

At the core of this new weapon is magnesium hydride, a hydrogen-rich compound typically used in small-scale lab experiments. When activated with conventional explosives, it rapidly releases hydrogen gas that ignites in a high-energy firestorm. Though the shockwave pressure is roughly 40% that of TNT, the heat radius is significantly larger, making the weapon more suited for wide-area thermal devastation rather than sheer blast damage. Scientists at the 705 Research Institute of China’s State Shipbuilding Corporation led the research but have not disclosed the source of their magnesium hydride supply something that’s difficult to scale beyond lab production.

While this weapon doesn’t carry the radiation risks of a traditional nuclear bomb, its high-temperature impact and sustained fireball raise major questions about future military use. It opens the door to a new class of clean yet highly destructive thermobaric weaponry focused on heat and fire over shock and fallout. The research underscores a growing global interest in advanced non-nuclear armaments with strategic applications.