Explosives Flashcards by Sherl Nicole M. TABANAO

is a solid or liquid substance (or a mixture of substances) that is in itself capable by chemical reaction of producing gas at such a temperature and pressure and at such a speed as to cause damage to the surroundings.

Explosive substance

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the year of discovery of nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose and after which dynamites and Mercury formulate dusting cap were invented.

1850

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Year smokeless powder was made

1867

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is a material that, under the influence of thermal or mechanical shock, decomposes rapidly and spontaneously with the evolution of a great deal of heat and much gas.

Explosive

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Classification of explosives

1) Initiating or primary explosives (detonators)
2) High explosives-trinitro-toluene (T.N.T)
3) Low explosives or propellants-colloided cellulose nitrate (smokeless powder)

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sensitive materials which can be made to explode by the application of fire or by means of a slight blow.
- used in primers, detonators, and percussion caps

Initiating or primary explosives (detonators)

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Examples of initiating or primary explosives (detonators)

lead azide, mercury fulminate, diazodinitro-phenol, lead styphnate (lead trillitro-resorcillate).

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insensitive to both mechanical shock and flame but explode with great violence when set off by an explosive shock such as that which would be obtained by detonating a small amount of an initiating explosive in contact with the high explosive.

High explosives

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Examples of high explosives

trinitro-toluene (T.N.T.) - amatols, pentaerythritoltetranitrate, cyclonite (hexogen or R.D.X.), tetryl, dynamites, nitro-starch.

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is used as a booster between the initiating and high explosive

Tetryl

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refers to all black powder having sodium or potassium nitrate as a constituent

Black blasting powder

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evolve large volumes of gas on combustion in a definite and controllable manner.

Low explosives

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mode of decomposition is burn.
less shattering

Low explosives or propellants

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One which has been approved by the US Bureau of Miners or British Ministry of Fuel and Power for use in gas or dust-filled mines.

Permissible explosive

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constitutes over 65 percent of the weight of the permissible

ammonium nitrate explosives

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Permissible explosive includes:

▪ ammonium nitrate explosives -
▪ hydrated explosives
▪ organic nitrate explosives
▪ nitro-glycerine explosives - contain an excess of free water or carbon

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Property of an explosive that may be measured by exploding a small quantity of it in a sand bomb

Power or Brisance

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a heavy-walled vessel designed to resist the explosion without being ruptured

Sand bomb

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It contains 200 grams of Ottawa silica sand, all of which passes through a 20-mesh sieve and all of which is retained on a 30-mesh sieve.

Sand bomb

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measures the power of the explosive by measuring the ballooning of a soft lead cylinder in which the explosive is inserted and exploded.

Trauzl block test

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How deep is the center hole of the Trauzl block?

125 mm

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This property of an explosive is determined by finding the height from which standard weight must be allowed to fall in order to detonate the explosive.

sensitivity to impact

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Recently, methods have been developed for determining the velocity of detonation by means of

high-speed photography

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is dependent on many factors including the composition of the explosive, the density at which it was loaded before firing, and the degree of confinement.

velocity of detonation

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Certain accelerated aging tests are frequently run to determine the

stability of explosives on storage

contains a small amount of a primary explosive or sensitive mixture

Primer

Projectiles designed for _______ must have heavy walls and contain an explosive so insensitive to impact .

armor piercing

▪ extremely low sensitivity to impact ▪ low cost of production ▪ excellent thermal stability

Guanidine picrates

At high enough temperatures, ________ can violently decompose on its own. This process creates gases including nitrogen oxides and water vapor.

ammonium nitrate

Special projectiles loaded with lead balls embedded in a matrix of rosin or bakelite and equipped with a time fuze causing them to explode in mid-air are known as

shrapnel

pushed black powder out of use as a military propellant.

Nitrocellulose

The cellulose molecule is a highly complicated one with a molecular weight that is frequently as high as

300,000

The finished nitro-cellulose should not be allowed to become acid in use or storage because

this catalyzes its further decomposition.

added which reacts with any trace of nitrous, nitric, or sulfuric acid that may be released due to the decomposition of the nitro-cellulose and thus stop further decomposition.

Stabilizer

Stabilizer for smokeless powder

diphenylamine (diphenylurea in Great Britain)

Stabilizer for celluloid

Urea

The nitro-cellulose produced in this manner contains about 12.6% nitrogen and is known as

Pyrocotton

Cotton nitrated to contain 13.2% nitrogen or greater is known as

Guncotton

is colloided nitro-cellulose containing about 1% of diphenylamine to improve its storage life and a small amount of a plasticizer

Smokeless powder

oldest known propellant.

Black powder

replace black powder for its smokelessness, superior power, and better storage characteristics

Smokeless powder

Smokeless powder is colloided cellulose nitrate, containing a plasticizer such as

nitroglycerin and nitroglycol

▪ Put black powder out of use as a propellant ▪ Now made from wood fibers rather than cotton

Nitrocellulose

are low explosives consisting of fuels that include their own oxidant or other reactants necessary to cause the planned reaction

Rocket propellants

added to the combustion chamber as liquids used in a single propellant system, serving as fuel, oxidizer, and catalyst

Liquid propellants

fuels and oxidizers stored in two fuel tanks and fed separately to the combustion chamber

bipropellant systems

combine the fuel and oxidizer in one mixture

Monopropellants

used in large high-performance rockets for their specific impulse and low cost

LOX (liquid oxygen) and LH2 (liquid hydrogen) propellants

have the advantage over liquid because of their simple design and they are easily stored, handed, and serviced

Solid propellants

Solid propellants are classified in two groups

1. Heterogeneous or composite 2. homogeneous or double based

Applications for solid propellants

1. Propulsive units for missile 2. Target drones 3. Supersonic sleds

Oxidizer and reducer present in two distinct phases

Heterogeneous or composite

Oxidizer and reducer present in a single or colloidal phase

Homogeneous or double based

a type of spacecraft that require rocket propulsion for launching

Artificial satellites

Miscellaneous Industrial Explosive Uses

1. Explosive rivets – can be placed without backing devices 2. Explosive thrustors, pin pullers, separators, and release devices - extremely reliable on space missions and in industrial emergency devices 3. Explosive welding – to form plate heat exchangers 4. Ejection seat are explosive powered

mixture of strong oxidizing agents, oxidizable material and material acting as binders that alter the character of the flame with color-producing chemical

Pyrotechnics

Pyrotechnics mixture uses:

1. Illuminating flares 2. Marine signal rockets 3. Red signal flares used by trucks and trains 4. Colored light mixtures for military purposes

All matches fall within two categories

1. Safety matches 2. Strike- anywhere matches

Match head composition of strike-anywhere matches

1. A fuel with a low kindling point (usually phosphorous sesquisulfide) 2. Oxidizing agent (potassium or barium chlorate) 3. Ground glass 4. glue

Used in the heads of matches as a flame-producing agent

Antimony sulfide

The coating of the surface of the box of safety matches consists of

Red phosphorus Ground glass Glue

Ignited by the generation of heat on the striking surface of the box

Safety matches

cost is less vital and accent is on performance and good storage life - consist of a thin cartridge case holding the primer, igniter and propellant.

Military explosives

major explosive substance

Ammonium nitrate

used for armor-piercing shells for its extraordinary resistance to shock

Ammonium picrate

Some type of mechanical or electronic device to cause explosion on impact, delayed on impact, or by proximity, as desired.

Fuze

▪ Important military explosive with a mixture of ammonium nitrate ▪ Loaded into bombs and shells in a molten state because of its low melting point ▪ Made by multiple-stage nitration of toluene with nitric and sulfuric acids

TNT (trinitrotoluene)

▪ 2,4,6- trinitrophenylmethylnitramine, C6H2(NO2)3NCH3NO2 ▪ Used as a base charge in blasting caps, booster explosive in high-explosive shell, and ingredient of binary explosives

Tetryl

▪ 2,4,6- trinitrophenol ▪ Manufactured by the nitration of mixed phenolsulfonates with mixed acid

Picric acid

A powerful high explosive with intermediate sensitivity and great shattering power

Tetryl

- Ammonium picrate - made by the neutralization of a hot aqueous solution of picric acid with aqueous ammonia

Explosive D

Its major use is for the manufacture of ammonium picrate

Picric acid

- It is used in armor-piercing shells as a bursting charge - must be loaded by compression because it is a salt

Explosive D

▪︎ Pentaerythritol tetranitrate C(CH2ONO2)4 ▪ One of the most brisant and sensitive of the military high explosive ▪ Use as a booster explosive, bursting charge, or plastic demolition charge ▪ Desensitized by admixture with TNT or addition of wax

PETN

Is used in making detonating fuses and commercial blasting caps, and has a small medicinal use

PETN

▪ Cyclonite or sym-trimethylenetrinitramine (CH2)3N3(NO2)3 ▪ One of the most powerful explosive known at present time ▪ Used in a mixture with TNT and aluminium, known as torpex for mines, depth charges and torpedo warheads

RDX

Made by casting slurries of PETN with TNT

Pentolite

▪ Replace mercury fulminate as an initiating explosive for blasting caps ▪ Has remarkable stability, involves no strategic materilas, and can be manufactured in large batches

Lead azide

Favored primer ingredient

Basic styphnate

▪ Trinitroresorcinol & Forms two salt on reaction with lead acetate or nitrate, basic lead stypnate C6H2(NO2)3OPbOH and lead styphnate

Styphnic acid

▪︎ were the largest single category of chemical supplies consumed during World War 2 and were the vital factors in that victory ▪ Take the form of bombs, bomblets, artillery shells and grenades

Incendiaries

Causes ignition of combustible materials at the target

Incendiary

– oldest chemical weapon known to humans

Flammable mixture

- mixture of aluminum powder and iron oxide - when ignited, burn fiercely at a high temperature and cannot be extinguished by means of water

Thermite

Incendiaries fall into two classes

Metallic and petroleum

First satisfactory thickener

Rubber

The most important thickener

Napalm

Modern use of toxic chemicals in war began in

1915

Toxic agents were designed to

Produce temporary incapacity in controlling riots and civil disobedience

Toxic agents may produce/cause

Sneezing, tears, vomiting, and/ or nausea

▪ use to hide area on a temporary basis

Smokes or persistent fogs

▪ dispersed by mechanical, thermal, and chemical means

Smokes

Created by forming low volatile droplets of water which remain dispensed in air

Fogs

▪ Used in a smoke grenade

Oil vapor mists

▪ Made by burning pyrotechnics mixture which volatilizes various heat-resistant organic dyes

Colored smokes

Explosives Flashcards

(95 cards)