Chlorates Lead Azide Explosives

Impact sensitivities of mixtures of red phosphorus with various oxidants were determined in a direct drop-ball method, which indicated higher sensitivities than those determined with an indirect striker mechanism. Mixtures with silver chlorate were most sensitive, those with bromates, chlorates and chlorites were extremely sensitive, and mixtures with sodium peroxide and potassium superoxide were more sensitive than those with barium, calcium, magnesium, strontium or zinc peroxides. Mixtures with perchlorates or iodates had sensitivities comparable to those of unmixed explosives, such as lead azide, 3,5-dinitrobenzenediazonium-2-oxide etc. 

Examples of very highly sensitive substances are mixture of chlorates-red phosphorus, paper cracker, lead azide, and DDNP. High sensitivity substances are dynamite(powder), PETN(powder), HMX(powder), RDX(powder), tetryKpowder), picric acid(powder), TNT(powder), and benzoyl peroxide (powder). Medium-sensitivity substances are the modem safety industrial explosives (slurry explosives, ammonium nitrate explosives), black powder, AIBN, and t-butyl-benzoate. Among low sensitivity substances are non-cap explosives dinitro benzene, dinitropentamethylenetetramine, ANFO, ammonium nitrate, nitromethane, dinitrotoluene, and cast TNT. 

Mercury fulminate has no longer a monopoly as a primer. In some of its uses it has been replaced by azides, particularly lead azide in some others chlorate primers have taken its place. Chlorates and perchlorates are also being used in industrial explosives and can now be readily manufactured by means of electrochemical processes. 

COPPER (7440-50-8) Cu The powder forms the friction-, heat-, or shock-sensitive explosive detonator, copper acetylide, with acetylene gas acetylenic compounds and ethylene oxides. The powder forms explosive materials with azides (e.g., sodium azide forms potentially explosive copper azide). Finely divided material forms friction-, heat-, or shock-sensitive explosive with powdered divided bromates, chlorates, and iodates of barimn, calcimn, magnesium, potassium, sodium, or zinc. Violent reaction, possibly explosive, when finely dispersed powder comes in contact with strong oxidizers ammonium nitrate alkynes, bromine vapor, calcium carbide, chlorine, ethylene oxide, hydrazine mononitrate, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen sulfide, finely divided bromates, iodine, lead azide, potassium peroxide, sodium peroxide (incandescence), sulfuric acid. Incompatible with acids, anhydrous ammonia chemically active metals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, and zinc, zirconium, strong bases. 

Primary explosives have a high degree of sensitivity to initiation through shock, friction, electric spark or high temperatures and explode whether they are confined or unconfined. Typical primary explosives which are widely used are lead azide, lead styphnale (trinilroresorci-nate), lead mononitroresorcinate (l-MNR), potassium dinitrobenzo-furozan (KDNBF), barium slyphnatcand potassium perchlorate. Other primary explosive materials which are not frequently used today arc mercury azide, potassium chlorate atid mercury fulminate. 

An alternative for such purposes is a Copper(II) chlorate(VII) coordination polymer with 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole as bridging ligand. This compound has a ID chain structure in which Cu + ions are linked by triple triazole nitrogen bridges. It is a high explosive with a performance close to that of lead azide, but it... 

Mercury(ll) fulminate - Used since the early 1800s in percussion caps for black powder shooting, this primary explosive is highly sensitive to friction and shock. Thus it is used to trigger secondary, but more powerful explosives. Although potassium chlorate is sometimes used in its place, the mercury(ll) fulminate is less corrosive, but may weaken with time. Today it is usually replaced with materials that are non-corrosive, less toxic and more stable over time lead azide, lead slyphnate and tetrazene derivatives. It also causes brass to become brittle a concern for reloaders. 

Bowden and Singh [37, 38] achieved explosion of lead and silver azides when crystals were irradiated with an electron beam of 75 kV and 200 pA. Explosion was partly due to heating of the crystals by the electron beam. To substantiate this, crystals of potassium chlorate with a melting point of 334°C readily melted in the beam, showing a temperature rise close to the explosion temperature of the azides. Sawkill [97] investigated with an electron microscope the effect of an electron beam on lead and silver azides. If explosion did not take place, color changes and nucleation occurred cracks developed within the crystals which broke up into blocks about 10 cm across and were believed to be associated with a substructure in the crystals. In silver azide the progression to silver was pronounced but did not follow the thermal decomposition route. 

ARSENIC (7440-38-2) Finely divided material forms explosive mixture with air. Decomposes on contact with acids or acid fumes, emitting fumes of arsenic. Contact of dust or powder with strong oxidizers can cause ignition or explosion. Violent reaction with bromine azide, bromine pentafluoride, bromine trifluoride, dichlorine oxide, hypochlorous acid, nitrogen trichloride, tribromamine hexaammoniate, nitrogen oxyfluoride, potassium chlorate, potassium dioxide, powdered rubidium, silver fluoride. Incompatible with strong acids, cesium acetylene carbide, chromic acid, chromium trioxide, hafnium, halogens, lead monoxide, mercury oxide, nitryl fluoride, platinum, potassium nitrate, silver nitrate, sodium chlorate, powdered zinc. 

Many different explosives were tested. Attanpts were made to produce explosives in World War I that would also produce toxic gases or fumes. Other explosives that used cheap and plentiful raw materials were also in demand. Finally, many of the fuses or detonators in shells malfunctioned, and explosives were sought for use that would more surely detonate on impact bnt not detonate npon handling or firing. Lyconite, various chlorates and perchlorates, azides of lead, strontium and thallium, and hydrazine nitfate were tested. Much of this work occurred at the AUES, but many of these private companies also had laboratories where this experimentation took place. 

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