High explosive, solid propellant

For explosions in enclosures involving high explosives, solid propellants, high explosive with combustible materials in contact, or combustible mist, dust, or gaseous explosive mixtures, the long-duration gas pressures caused by confinement of the products of the explosions can be the dominant loads causing structural failure. 

Because of its higher density, HMX has replaced RDX in explosive applications for which energy and volume are important. It is used in castable TNT-based binary explosives, as the main ingredient in high-performance plastic-bonded explosives, and in high-performance solid propellants. 

Refs 1) Anon, Nitrasol - A New Family of Solid Propellants , NOTS 2059 (15 July 1958) 2) E.M. Fisher J.F. Pittman, Air Blast Effectiveness of Nitrasol as a High Explosive , NAVDRD 6891 (23 July 1960) 3) R.W. 

Venkatachalam, S., Santhosh, G., and Ninan, K. N., High Energy Oxidisers for Advanced Solid Propellants and Explosives (Eds. Varma, M., and Chatterjee,... 

Aluminum (Al) is a silver-colored light and soft metal used as a major component of aluminum alloys, which are used to construct aircraft and vehicles, similar to Mg alloys. However, Al is known as a readily combustible metal. Thus, Al particles are used as major fuel components of pyrolants. Al particles are mixed with ammonium perchlorate particles and polymeric materials to form solid propellants and underwater explosives. The reaction between aluminum powder and iron oxide is known as a high-temperature gasless reaction and is represented by ... 

Nitroglycerine is a very powerful secondary explosive with a high brisance, i.e. shattering effect, and it is one of the most important and frequently-used components for gelatinous commercial explosives. Nitroglycerine also provides a source of high energy in propellant compositions, and in combination with nitrocellulose and stabilizers it is the principal component of explosive powders and solid rocket propellants. 

Solid propellants may be classified as monopropellants or composite propellants. Monopropellants are substances in which the fuel and oxidizer are both contained within the same molecule or at least in a single phase. These materials may either burn slowly at subsonic rates or may decompose rapidly in detonation. Depending on the use to which this type of material is put, it may be classified either as propellant or high explosive. In general, useful monopropellants are difficult to detonate. The typical example of a monopropellant is the so-called double-base propellant. This substance consists of nitrocellulose which has been colloidized by nitroglycerine along with various minor constituents which have been added to... 

BDPF is a colorless or slightly yellow, oily liquid with a freezing point of -22 Celsius. It is an excellent plasticizer for solid rocket propellants, high performance gun propellants, and explosive formulations. BDPF may be used in the preparation of flexible sheet explosives, plastic explosives, and other moldable or flexible formulations. BDPF has excellent properties and stability, but can detonate on shock or percussion. ... 

Alex is an -> aluminum powder formed by explosion of electrically heated aluminum wires in inert atmospheres with particle sizes between 50 and 200 nm. Due to a passivation layer of a thickness between 2 to 4 nm a substantial amount of the particles is already converted to alumina the formation of which should be avoided by in-situ coating. In addition to the diffusion controlled oxidation at lower temperatures, a partial oxidation of the particles can occur by a fast chemically controlled reaction. Alex can increase the burning rate of solid composite rocket propellants up to a factor of 2. An increase of detonation velocity is not confirmed but Alex might improve -> air blast or fragment velocities of some high explosives. 

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