Contents
Chapter 1Introduction to Explosives 1
Development of Blackpowder 1Development of Nitroglycerine 2
Development of Mercury Fulminate 3Development of Nitrocellulose 3Development of Dynamite 4
Development of Ammonium Nitrate 4Development of Commercial Explosives 5
Development of Permitted Explosives 5Development of ANFO and Slurry Explosives 6
Development of Military Explosives 7Development of Picric Acid 7Development of Tetryl 8Development of TNT 8Development of Nitroguanidine 9Development of PETN 9Development of RDX and HMX 9Polymer Bonded Explosives 11Heat-resistant Explosives 14
Chapter 2Classification of Explosive Materials 18
Explosions 18Atomic Explosions 18Physical Explosions 19Chemical Explosions 19
Chemical Explosives 19
vii
Classification of Chemical Explosives 20Primary Explosives 21Secondary Explosives 23Propellants 24Chemical Data on Explosive Materials 24
Primary Explosives 24Mercury Fulminate 24Lead Azide 25Lead Styphnate 26Silver Azide 27Tetrazene 28
Secondary Explosives 29Nitroglycerine 29Nitrocellulose 30Picric Acid 32Tetryl 33TNT 34Nitroguanidine 36PETN 37RDX 38HMX 40TATB 41HNS 42
Other Compounds used in Explosive Compositions 42
Chapter 3Combustion, Deflagration and Detonation 44
Combustion 44Physical and Chemical Aspects of Combustion 45Combustion of Explosives and Propellants 45
Deflagration 45Detonation 47
Burning to Detonation 48Shock to Detonation 48Propagation of the Detonation Shockwave 49Effect of Density on the Velocity of Detonation 51Effect of Diameter of the Explosive Composition on the
Velocity of Detonation 54Effect of Explosive Material on the Velocity of Detonation 55
Classification of Explosives 57
viii Contents
Chapter 4Ignition, Initiation and Thermal Decomposition 58
Ignition 58Hotspots 59Mechanisms for the Formation of Hotspots 59
Ignition by Impact and Friction 61Friction 61Impact 61
Classification of Explosives 62Initiation Techniques 65
Explosive Train 65Detonators 66Igniters 66
Thermal Decomposition 67
Chapter 5Thermochemistry of Explosives 69
Oxygen Balance 69Decomposition Reactions 72
Kistiakowsky—Wilson Rules 73Modified Kistiakowsky—Wilson Rules 74Springall Roberts Rules 75
Heats of Formation 76Heat of Explosion 78
Effect of Oxygen Balance 82Volume of Gaseous Products of Explosion 83Explosive Power and Power Index 85Temperature of Chemical Explosion 85Mixed Explosive Compositions 89
Atomic Composition of the Explosive Mixture 89Oxygen Balance 91Decomposition Reaction 91Heat of Explosion 92Volume of Gaseous Products 93
Energized Explosives 93Addition of Aluminium 94
Force and Pressure of Explosion 95
ixContents
Chapter 6Equilibria and Kinetics of Explosive Reactions 97
Equilibria 97Products of Decomposition 98The Water—Gas Equilibrium 99Heat of Explosion 99Temperature of Explosion 104
Kinetics of Explosive Reactions 105Activation Energy 105Rate of Reaction 106Kinetics of Thermal Decomposition 107
Measurement of Kinetic Parameters 108Differential Thermal Analysis 108Thermogravimetric Analysis 110Differential Scanning Calorimetry 110
Chapter 7Manufacture of Explosives 112
Nitration 112C-Nitration 113
Picric Acid 113Tetryl 114TNT 114TATB 115HNS 117
O-Nitration 119Nitroglycerine 119Nitrocellulose 120PETN 123
N-Nitration 125RDX 125HMX 129Nitroguanidine 131Ammonium Nitrate 132
Primary Explosives 132Lead Azide 132Mercury Fulminate 133Tetrazene 134
x Contents
Commercial Explosive Compositions 135Ammonium Nitrate 135Ammonium Nitrate Slurries 135Ammonium Nitrate Emulsion Slurries 136Dynamite 136
Military Explosive Compositions 137Casting 137Pressing 138Ram and Screw Extrusion 141
Chapter 8Introduction to Propellants and Pyrotechnics 143
Introduction to Propellants 143Gun Propellants 143
Performance 143Composition 144Single-base Propellants 145Double-base Propellants 145Triple-base Propellants 146Propellant Additives 146High Energy Propellants 146Liquid Propellants 146Composite Propellants 147
Rocket Propellants 148Performance 148Composition 148Double-base Propellants 149Composite Propellants 149Liquid Propellants 150
Gas-generating Propellants 151Introduction to Pyrotechnics 151Heat-producing Pyrotechnics 152
Primers and First Fires 152Heat-generating Devices 153
Delay Compositions 154Smoke-generating Compositions 154Light-generating Compositions 155
Coloured Light 156White Light 156
xiContents
Noise-generating Pyrotechnics 156Bang 156Whistle 157
Bibliography 159
Subject Index 161
xii Contents