Chlorate explosives

Ammonium Chlorates Explosive ammonium salts formed... 

ChloratioD, /, chlorination, — n. chlorate ion, Chloratspreng-mittel, n, -stoff, m. chlorate explosive,... 

B. Muhlefeld, SS 16, 113-5 (1921) CA 16, 496 (1922) (The term chlorate explosives is applied to expls contg either chlorates or perchlorates. Among expls contg perchlorates are cited some contg K perchlorate and Amm perchlorate, varying from 10 to 55%, plus nitro-compds, carbonaceous materials, AN, etc)... 

Potassium chlorate is used as an oxidizer of chlorate explosives, primers, and matchheads. Mixtures of potassium chlorate and fuel components detonate relatively easily. 

Hahn s Powder. One of the chlorate explosives in which sensitivity of the powder due to the pressence of KC103 was reduced by the addition of spermaceti KC103 61 /Sb2S3 28/Charcoal 3 spermaceti 8%. It was patented in England in 1867 and used in primers Refs 1) Cundill (1889) in MP 6, 8 (1893)... 

Kiernan and Bowen Explosive. An expl mixt developed by Kiernan Bowen of New Orleans, La, contg Na chlorate 75, turpentine 10, bone-meal 10 dried blood 5%. It was concluded that this expl had no value from a military standpoint because of its low brisance, high degree of sensitivity to impact, and the ease with which it lost turpentine, which resulted in decreased sensitivity to initiating agents Ref A.J. Phillips, Study of Sodium Chlorate Explosive Developed by Kiernan and Bowen , PATR 1277 (April 1943)... 

Most dangerous group Black Powder and colloidal propellants, in bulk placed in boxes, and chlorate explosives, not cartridged. Dynamites with attached caps fuses, detonators, nonelectric at electric and Nitroceiiuioses wetted with at least 25% water. Aromatic nitrocompounds, packed in double containers the inner ones from leather, cardboard, heavy paper envelope., while the outer ones nf wood or copper. The fulminates must be transported in vessels filled with water... 

The addition to potassium chlorate of vegetable oils, fats or mineral oils in which aromatic nitro compounds are dissolved, as recommended by Street [72], proved to be a milestone in the development of chlorate explosives. The application of an admixture of castor oil was particularly useful. The presence of oils and fats in the explosives reduced their sensitiveness to friction and impact, and the oily ingredient conferred a slightly plastic consistency. 

The most effective method of preventing caking in chlorate explosives is to manufacture them in granular form. For this purpose various resins (e.g. colophony) or waxes (e.g. Carnauba) are added to the mixture. The moist mass is then rubbed through a sieve and dried. The grains so formed are sifted through screens to separate out the dust. 

The. chlorate explosives can be easily compressed to a density of 1.9 although at such a high density they are more difficult to detonate (see also Fig. 75, p. 279). 

Chlorate explosives yield only a small amount of gaseous products since the major product of explosion is potassium chloride. The specific pressure / is therefore relatively low (the high temperatures do not compensate for the small volume of gases), hence the lead block expansion is low, but Cheddites without nitro compounds—type O No. 6 and S—give an even smaller lead block expansion 180-200 cm3. Some chlorate explosives, when detonated in the open, do not transmit detonation from cartridge to cartridge, differing in this respect from dynamites and ammonium nitrate explosives. In a confined space, however, they behave differently. Here the... 

It is a feature of chlorate explosives that ammonium salts (e.g. ammonium nitrate) must not be added to chlorate compositions (Vol. II). 

Fig. 75. The relation between the density and the rate of detonation, and sensitiveness to initiation by mercury fulminate of chlorate explosive [80].

Another constituent of perchlorate explosives, ammonium perchlorate, unlike ammonium chlorate, is stable. It is also dissimilar to potassium perchlorate in being an explosive in the pure state, like ammonium nitrate. The greater specific gravity of ammonium perchlorate gives to explosives with which it is mixed a greater power than that of similar ammonium nitrate explosives. The former are also more sensitive than chlorate explosives to friction and impact and to thermal ignition. 

Perchlorate explosives, like chlorate explosives, can be compressed to a high density, but the detonation at a high density is difficult. This is illustrated by a graph published by the French Commission on Explosives (Commission des Substances Explosives) (Fig. 75) [80] which shows how the rate of detonation and the amount of mercury fulminate required for detonation varies with density. 

Perchlorate explosives for mining, and technical methods of manufacturing chlorate explosives, will be discussed later (pp. 520-521). Mixtures of potassium perchlorate or ammonium perchlorate with plastics or elastomers have recently come into extensive use for jet propulsion (e.g. methyl polymethacrylate, ester resins, and thiokol-rubber). 

Chlorate explosives were also used in both countries, in mines, viz. Miedziankit type in Russia (p. 278) and Cheddite type in France (p. 277). 

Chlorate explosives, such as Colliery Steelite, which were used for a short time in coal mines, had the following composition ... 

Explosives containing nitroglycerine and also chlorate explosives are more liable to deflagration than those containing ammonium nitrate without nitroglycerine. 

German dynamites and ammonium nitrate, perchlorate and chlorate explosives... 

Chlorate explosives of the Cheddite type (p. 277, Table 61) are manufactured in an enamelled vat with a double bottom, heated by steam. First the organic in-... 

When manufacturing chlorate explosives, it is of extreme importance to observe the safety code which demands the highest possible purity, the removal of all chlorate dust settling on furniture, clothes etc. The workers foot-wear should be wooden soled, since nails in soles not infrequently cause accidents. The floor in the premises should be covered with linoleum or magnesia cement. 

Ammonium Chlorate Explosives. See Cheddites, Vol 2, pp C155 to C161... 

It was concluded that the Chlorate expl offered no promise for use in military ammo Ref W.R. Tomlinson, Chlorate Explosives Developed by the Universal Powder Company , PATR 1230 (1943)... 

CHLORATE EXPLOSIVES Chlorate Explosives are mixts of chlorates (chiefly K or Na) with various combustible materials, such as oils, greases, paraffins, liquid nitrocompds, carbon, charcoal, etc. 

Properties of Chlorate Explosives. In general, expls based on chlorates are very powerful and brisant, but are very sensitive to friction and impact. Coating of particles of chlorates with substances such as castor oil, rosin, paraffin, tar, aromatic nitrocompds, crude rubber, vaselin, pertoleum, plastic materials, diminish considerably the sensitiveness but not sufficiently to make these expls suitable for loading artillery shells(See CHEDDITES) The chlorate expls are more sensitive than those contg perchlorates, and expls contg Na chlorate are more sensitive than those with K chlorate. Expls contg K or Na chlorate should not be mixed with Amm salts because, in this case, double decomp takes place with the formation of Amm chlorate which can explode spontaneously. It also is advisable not to use either PA or.TNCrs in chlorate expls, because such mixts are very sensitive(Ref 7,p 383). These precautions were not always followed... 

Uses of Chlorate Explosives, Most chlorate expls have been used for industrial purposes, but during WWI WWII some were used by the French, Russians, Italians, Japanese and Germans for loading mines, torpedoes, hand grenades depth charges(but not in artillery shells). Many expls contg chlorate have been used in primers and detonators (See also under individual expls, such as CHEDDITES)... 

A356j Antigrisou (Explosifs) in Vol l,pp A466 A467 BLACK POWDER in Vol 2, pp Bl66ff CHEDDITES in Vol 2, p C155 and CHLORATE EXPLOSIVES in Vol 2,pp C202ff]... 

Figure 45. Marius Marqueyrol, Inspecteur-General des Poudres, France. 1919. Author of many researches on aromatic nitro compounds, nitrocellulose, smokeless powder, stabilizers and stability, chlorate explosives, etc.—published for the most part in the Memorial des poudres and in the Bulletin de la societe chimique de France.

The history of chlorate explosives goes back as far as 1788 when Berthollet attempted to make a new and more powerful gunpowder by incorporating in a stamp mill a mixture of potassium chlorate with sulfur and charcoal. He used the materials in the proportion 6/1/1. A party, had been organized to witness the manufacture, M. and Mme. Lavoisier, Berthollet, the Commis-saire M. de Chevraud and his daughter, the engineer M. Lefort, and others. The mill was started, and the party went away for... 

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