Three Common High Explosives and Their Properties
What are High Explosives?
High Explosives have powerful explosive properties, exploding at a supersonic level. They produce an explosion with a
velocity ranging from 3000 to 9000 meters per second. The chemicals
that make up high explosives decompose extremely quickly.
When initiated by a blast or shock, the material directly decomposes, and an
explosion happens almost instantaneously by chemical reaction.
High explosives are categorized into two types:
Primary and secondary explosives.
Primary explosives are generally heat-sensitive, and can react quickly and devastatingly to
static electricity. For some primary explosives, almost any kind of impact no matter how slight, or
even friction can set them off. In extreme cases, some unstable primary explosives like nitroglycerine go as far as being untouchable due to their sensitivity.
Secondary explosives are less reactive to shock and friction than primary explosives, which make them less dangerous and easier to handle.. They are paired with primary explosives, for ignition when utilized.
Done in this manner, the explosion can be calculated and controlled to avoid mishap.
These practical explosives are used in mining sites, the military and in demolition applications, to name a few.
Diagram of a Dynamite
Types of High Explosives
1. Dynamite
This type of explosive material made of sawdust or diatomaceous earth as an
absorbent and nitroglycerin as the explosive agent. It commonly sold in the shape
of sticks, and is used with a line of fuse, with a primary explosive at the end acting as its charge, called a 'blasting cap'.
History, Uses, and Properties
History:
Dynamite
was invented by the chemist Alfred Nobel in Germany. The product,
originally
called 'Nobel's Blasting Powder' was patented in both England and Sweden
on
1867.
Since its invention, dynamite has been employed in mining,
construction, and
demolition. It quickly gave rise to the faster development of industry
and
easier labor, especially in constructing railways and clearing
mine-shafts.
Uses:
Dynamite was also used in warfare. Being classified as a high explosive,
it was
used prior to the First World was as a highly effective and lethal
explosive.
Nobel became notorious for his invention of dynamite. It was once said
that
Nobel would go down in history as a peddler of death for the many lives
that
were lost either accidentally, or during times of civil strife, from the
use of
dynamite.
Properties:
The properties of dynamite are primarily three parts: Nitroglycerin, which acts as its explosive agent, an absorbent, mostly one part of diatomaceous earth, and a small amount of sodium carbonate.
Older kinds of dynamite incorporated sawdust as an absorbent. Mixing the nitroglycerin with absorbents made if safer to transport, since it greatly reduced the shock sensitivity. Older types dynamite have a tendency to 'sweat' overtime, meaning that nitroglycerin mixed with the absorbent starts to leak out of and crystallize around the wrapper. This makes the dynamite highly dangerous.
Story of Dynamite
TNT Powder
2. Trinitrotoluene
Trinitrotoluene,
most commonly shortened to TNT, is a solid, yellow-colored chemical compound. It
is commonly used as a reagent in chemical synthesis and as an explosive
material. Most often confused as being similar to dynamite, TNT is a chemical
compound, while dynamite is a mixture of nitroglycerin and an absorbent agent
such as sawdust.
History, Uses, and Properties
History:
TNT was invented by the German chemist Joseph Wilbrand in 1863. The original
purpose of TNT was its use as a yellow dye. The use of TNT as an explosive came
many years later, mainly due to the difficulty of detonating TNT, and because
it was less powerful than other explosives at that time.
Uses:
TNT is a comparatively insensitive explosive which enabled it to be poured while
in
liquid form into shell cases. The earliest use of TNT as a military
explosive
was during 1902, when the Germans used it as a filling for artillery
shells.
These TNT-filled armor-piercing shells would explode after penetrating
the
armor of the target.
TNT is still widely used by the military and by various construction
companies
worldwide. It is valued for general use because of its safety and
stability.
TNT is insensitive to shock as well as friction, which allows it to be
transported and used without much risk for accidental detonation.
TNT is also water-resistant, which allows it to be used in wet
environments.
Radford Army Ammunition Plant currently produces the majority of TNT
used by
the United States Military. TNT is also employed for use in demolitions
and
clearing away large debris in building foundations.
Production:
The production of TNT is achieved in three steps. It begins with the
nitrated
toluene, which is mixed with sulfuric and nitric acid to produce
mono-nitrotoluene or MNT. The MNT is then separated and re-nitrated to
produce
dinitrotoluene or DNT.
Finally, the DNT is nitrated into trinitrotoluene or TNT by the use of
an
anhydrous mix of nitric acid and oleum. As a finishing touch, the TNT is
then
stabilized by treating it with an aqueous sodium sulfate solution. This
removes
the less stable isomers of TNT, making it more stable for use.
Properties:
TNT is a toxic chemical, and skin contact has been known to cause skin
irritation, making the skin appear yellow-orange in color. Prolonged
exposure
to TNT can impair normal liver function and cause anemia, spleen
enlargement,
as well as affect male fertility.
Breathing TNT is greatly harmful to the immune system. It is known as a
carcinogen, and oral intake of TNT produces urine which is red in color,
due to
its chemical breakdown in the body.
3. Tovex
A water gel explosive, also known as
Trenchrite, Seismogel, or Seismopac, is an alternative to traditional dynamite.
It's lower toxicity and safer manufacture has made it the optimum replacement
for dynamite. Trovex has been adopted for widespread use, with as much as 80%
international oil companies using it for seismic exploration.
History, Uses, and Properties
History:
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Inc. first developed Tovex in the 1960s The first attempts at making Torvex was by mixing pelletized TNT with aqueous gels. It was commercially successful, but proved to have problems mainly with oxygen balance and the cost of production. In the late 1973, the formula was perfected by replacing TNT with methyl ammonium nitrate, thus allowing Tovex to replace nitroglycerin-based dynamites.
Uses:
The most common uses of Tovex is in construction, mining, tunneling,
avalanche
rescue, and seismic exploration. Tovex is the only explosive developed
that has
not been used as an instrument of warfare.
Properties:
The chemical properties of Tovex is a 50/50 aqueous solution of ammonium
nitrate and methylammonium nitrate. Sensitized fluids and other
ingredients
such as sodium nitrate, aluminum, and coal are added to make some of the
product grades cap sensitive. Thickening agents are sometimes used to
enhance
water resistance by acting as crystal modifiers.
Conclusion and Summary
High explosives are most commonly employed in war. High explosive weapons are highly destructive instruments which strike fear in the minds of many people, especially over the past few decades.
But high explosives are not themselves, instruments of evil.
When used for constructive purposes, high explosives benefit civilizations and the world at large
by allowing
faster methods of building tunnels, buildings, and roads. There are hundreds of beneficial applications for high explosives -it is up to governments and societies as a whole to ensure they are used peacefully and responsibily.
Comments
Gino Nguyen on March 13, 2015:
Hello there ! I would like to asking you any import around the oversea like hawai Costa Rica or cook island for test topping ling
. on March 25, 2013:
No they aren't.
Chemistrybuster on March 03, 2013:
Just to let you know, Dynamite and 2,4,6-Trinitroluene (otherwise known as TNT) are the same thing
Calum on January 06, 2012:
Great Hub! Really well done. Just wanted to ask if I could reference some of the information here for a report I am writing. Would be a great help as it contains some really useful information. However, I would also need to know the year in which this was written? Thank you very much!
HOME on September 07, 2011:
YOU ROCK
HOME on September 07, 2011:
YOU ROCK
johnsams (author) on June 13, 2010:
Hello ptosis, yeah its absurd when TSA does stuff like this but I think we should look at the situation in this way wherein whatever they are trying to do is to make sure that everyone remains safe.
ptosis from Arizona on May 24, 2010:
I don't understand why the shoe bomber tried to light up Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, (PETN) - when it's hard to light up in the first place. I think these comical attempts are for the sole reason of shutting down air travel via TSA ridiculous restrictions. - I had a fkg TSA ask me to take of my scarf to go though a metal detector - whatta idiot. As if that is going to make air travel safer. It's so stupid I wrote about the next idiotic step with TSA
