Apollo 13 explosion

HNS/Teflon Explosive Charges For The Apollo 17 Seismic Experiment, LSPE , NOLTR 73-44... 

Introduction of Conjugation The best example of imparting higher thermal stability through the introduction of conjugation in explosive molecules is hexanitrostilbene (HNS), synthesized by Shipp [58, 59] of the US Naval Ordnance Laboratory (NOL) in 1964. Plants for full-scale production exist in the UK and China, based on the method of Shipp [60]. It has proved its efficiency as a heat-resistant explosive as well as a component of heat-resistant formulations employed in the Apollo spaceship and for seismic experiments on the moon [61]. HNS has also been reported for use in achieving stage separation in space rockets. 

In supersonic missiles where warheads are subjected to aerodynamic heating, conventional explosives cannot be used and thermally stable explosives like TATB, TACOT, HNS and PYX, etc. are necessary for such systems. Some formulations based on these explosives are HNS/Kel-F800 95/5 (developed by Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston, UK) and AFX 521 (PYX/Kel-F800 95/5 — developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA). Their shock sensitivities lie in the region required for boosters. HNS/Teflon explosive charges have also been used for the Apollo 17 seismic experiments [199]. 

Kilmer, E.E. (1973) HNS/teflon explosive charges for the Apollo 17 seismic experiments. LSPE, Naval Ordnance Laboratory TR No.73-44. 

A flip of a switch yields a spark that triggers a small explosion aboard the Apollo 13 capsule, aborting a trip to the moon for three astronauts. But that s not their only problem. They will soon suffocate from the carbon dioxide their bodies are exhaling. Three astronauts will perish in space unless a solution to their problem is found, fast. It is at this point that organization saves the day. 

The strong oxidizing agent dinitrogen tetroxide is used for many applications. It is employed as a catalyst in oxidation reactions and as an inhibitor in the distillation of acrylates. It is also used in the manufacture of explosives and as bleach. In rocket propellants, it is used in a hypergolic mixture with hydrazine derivatives. The command module of the Apollo mission used a 1 1 mixture of hydrazine and N,N -dimethylhydrazine with N2O4 as the oxidant. 

Plutonium has assumed a position of dominant importance among the transuranium elements because of its successful use as an explosive ingredient in nuclear weapons and the place it holds as a key material in the development of industrial use of nuclear power. One kilogram is equivalent to about 22 million-kilowatt hours of heat energy. The complete detonation of a kilogram of plutonium produces an explosion equal to about 20,000 tons of chemical explosive. Its importance depends on the nuclear property of being readily fissionable with neutrons and its availability in quantity. The world s nuclear-power reactors are now producing about 20,000 kg of plutonium a year. By 1982, it was estimated that about 300,000 kg had accumulated. The various nuclear applications of plutonium are well known. Pu has been used in the Apollo lunar missions to power seismic and other equipment on the lunar surface. As with neptunium and uranium, plutonium metal can be prepared by reduction of the trifluoride with alkaline-earth metals. 

The era of fluoropolymers began with the discovery of polytetrafluoroethylene in 1938. The history of fluoropolymers, as will be seen in this book, is steeped in both scientific curiosity and serendipity— the seemingly indispensable elements of most major discoveries and inventions. There has been an explosion of fiuoropolymer applications in all facets of human affairs. Old and new technological advances have been made possible by their unique properties. From the Manhattan project in the early 1940 s, to the Apollo missions in the 1970 s, to integrated manufacturing in the late 1980 s, industries have relied on fluoropolymers for their inertness and durability. New applications are being developed everyday after more than six decades since the discovery of this plastic family. Few materials have impacted the lives of peoples as extensively as fluoropolymers. 

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