Chemical explosives properties

B. M. Dobraty2, EENE Explosives Handbook, Properties of Chemical Explosives and Explosive Simulants, UCRL 52997, LLNL, University of California, Livermore, Mar. 1981. 

Dobratz, Properties of Chemical Explosives and Explosive Simulants , UCRL-51319, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Univ of Calif (Dec 1972), 4-6 to 4-7... 

Table 1 details the physical, chemical and explosive properties of Minols II and IV... 

Properties of Chemical Explosives and Explosive Simulants , UCRL 51319 (1974) 33) A. 

General Properties. Chemically, Explosive D is not very reactiw. It is decompd into PA and ammonia by strong alkalies. At 0°, it absorbs one molecule of ammonia, but loses this at 26°. When maintained at its mp, it decomps... 

Dobratz, Properties of Chemical Explosives Explosive Simulants", UCRL-51319 (1972)... 

Explosihility screening. In the literature an extensive collection of explosion properties of chemical compounds can be found. However, if literature is unavailable or properties have not been examined yet, a number of initial screening techniques exist. If the checks for explosibility of the starting materials, intermediates, or products reveal a great hazard from deflagration or detonation, it is advisable to abandon the process. 

Professor Martel s book addresses specifically some of the more technical eispects of the risk assessment process, mainly in the areas of hazard identification, and of the consequence/effect analysis elements, of the overall analysis whilst where appropriate setting these aspects in the wider context. The book brings together a substantial corpus of information, drawn from a number of sources, about the toxic, flammable and explosive properties and effect (ie harm) characteristics of a wide range of chemical substances likely to be found in industry eind in the laboratory, and also addresses a spectrum of dangerous reactions of, or between, such substances which may be encountered. This approach follows the classical methodology and procedures of hazard identification, analysing material properties eind... 

A preliminary indication of the potential hazards can be estimated by knowing something about the chemical structure. Specific functional groups that contribute to the explosive properties of a chemical through rapid combustion or detonation are illustrated in Table 13-1. 

Dobratz, Brigitta M., "Properties of Chemical Explosions and Explosive Simulants," UCRL-52997, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, California, March 1981. 

Data quoted from the publication UCRL-51319 of the U.S. Department of Commerce Properties of Chemical Explosives and Explosive Stimulants, edited and compiled by Brigitta M. Doloratz, Univerity of California (1974). 

LLNL Explosives Handbook Properties of Chemical Explosives and Explosive Simulants, Hrsg. Brigitta M. Dobratz, UCLR-52997, Livermore, California 1981 erhaltlich bei National Technical Information Service, US Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161, USA Los Alamos Explosives Performance Data, Hrsg. Mader, Ch.L, Johnson, J.N. und Crane, Sh.L., University of California Press, Berkeley, California 1982... 

The Mond Index (ICI, 1985) has been developed from the 1973 version of the Dow F E Index. The principal modifications to the Dow method include (Lees, 1996) 1) wider range of processes and storage installations can be studied, 2) covers processing of chemicals having explosive properties, 3) improved hazard consideration for hydrogen, 4) additional special process hazards, 5) toxicity included into the assesment. 

Nitration Chemical reaction of a substance in which the nitro group (-N02) is introduced into the molecule often accomplished under highly reactive conditions using mixtures of nitric and sulfuric acids at high temperatures. Byproducts of the reaction may have explosive properties if reaction control is lost, may lead to vigorous and strongly exothermic runaway reactions due to oxidation of the reactants. 

Dobratz, B.M. and Crawford, PC., LLNL Explosives Handbook Properties of Chemical Explosives and Explosive Simulants, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 1985. 

Thus, nitroglycerin s explosive properties are caused by three factors the energy that is given off by its decomposition, the rate at which the reaction occurs, and the small amount of energy that is needed to initiate the reaction. In this unit, you will learn about the energy and rates of various chemical reactions. 

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) (3) is a powerful explosive which exhibits considerable brisance on detonation (VOD 8310 m/s at = 1.77 g/cm ). It is the most stable and least reactive of the common nitrate ester explosives. The relatively high sensitivity of PETN to friction and impact means that it is usually desensitized with phlegmatizers like wax and the product is used in detonation cord, boosters and as a base charge in detonators. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate can be mixed with synthetic polymers to form plastic bonded explosives (PBXs) like detasheet and Semtex-IA. A cast mixture of PETN and TNT in equal proportions is known as pentolite and has seen wide use as a military explosive and in booster charges. The physical, chemical and explosive properties of PETN commend its use as a high explosive. 

All the terms discussed so far try to classify an explosive from its physical or explosive properties. The classification of explosives from a chemical viewpoint is of course more relevant to this book. Explosives can be classified according to the functionality they contain, and in particularly, the functional groups that impart explosive properties to a compound. Piets (Zh. Obshch. Khim., 1953, 5, 173) divided explosives into the following eight classes depending on the groups they contained each group is known as an explosophore . 

Detonation (and Explosion), Stability of Explosives. Andreev 8t Belyaev (Ref 1, p 106) stated that stability, of explosive (stoykost vzryvchatogo veshchestva) is determined by the rate of changes in its physical and chemical (and consequently of explosive) properties with duration of time. The smaller the rate, the more stable is explosive and vice versa... 

The heat of formation of explosives is of fundamental importance in affording data for the study of their chemical characteristics and evaluation of their explosive properties [57]. 

Nitro-l,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO) [Structure (2.49)] or oxynitrotriazole (ONTA)has been reported as another IHE coupled with better performance [152-157]. Almost all aspects of NTO-synthesis, structural aspects, chemical and explosive properties including thermal behavior have been investigated [158-161]. NTO exists in two polymorphic forms, that is, -form and P-form. It has been established that a-NTO is the stable and dominating form whereas P-NTO is only found in the product on recrystallization of NTO from a methanol or ethanol/methylene chloride mixture [162]. French researchers have recently reported its evaluation as an explosive for warhead filling without a binder and also as a PBX [155]. Further, synthesis of NTO is easy consisting of only two steps (Scheme 2.9) and uses inexpensive starting materials. 

This book is split into six well-defined chapters Salient Features of Explosives, Status of Explosives, Processing and Assessment of Explosives, Propellants, Pyrotechnics, and Explosive and Chemical Safety. Further, the book includes an exhaustive bibliography at the end of each chapter (total references cited are more than 1000). It also provides the status of HEMs reported mainly during the last 50 years, including their prospects for military applications in the light of their physical, chemical, thermal and explosive properties. The likely development areas for further research are also highlighted. Accidents, fires and explosions in the explosive and chemical industries may be eliminated or minimized if the safety measures described in this book are implemented. 

Nitramine has explosive properties but it is not of any practical value for many reasons, primarily because of its high reactivity which impairs its chemical stability. It decomposes at a temperature as low as its melting point. At room temperature it decomposes slowly, to form nitrous oxide and water. On heating to 60-65°C decomposition occurs in an aqueous solution. It decomposes explosively on contact with concentrated sulphuric acid. ... 

In this connexion a number of investigations have been undertaken to examine the physico-chemical and explosive properties of these mixtures. 

---