Liquid Explosive Mixtures

In summary, liquid explosive mixtures include the ahphatic nitro compounds, nitric acid and nitrate series, the perchloric acid hydrazine series, the hydrogen peroxide series and the N2O4 series. Besides, two-component hquid explosives and emulsion liquid explosives were also reported. Consequently, the rapid development on liquid explosive mixtures has led to many different explosive types that found broad applications in various areas. For instance, hquid explosives can be used as ordinary chemical raw materials, employed in mining and underwater blasting operations, or serve as temporary filhngs for firearms. Naturally, they are deemed as emergency explosives suitable for both civihan and mihtary applications. In this chapter, we will thoroughly discuss the properties and preparative methods of hquid explosive mixtures. 

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Detonation characteristics of liquid explosive mixtures with nitrobenzene were studied. 

Powerful liquid explosives mixtures of nitrobenzene and liquid O4 were also known and in some use (Vol. Ill, p. 289). Recently pyrolysis of nitrobenzene was examined in the range of 275—630 C (3).. At lower temperatures nitrobenzene decomposes via direct rupture of the C-N bond to give free radicals C Hs and N02. As the temperature was raised the yield of NOj considerably decreased and at 625 C the volatile products were composed of ... 

DICROTOPHOS (141-66-2) CsHisNOjP Combustible liquid. Explosive mixture formed with air [Flashpoint >175°F/>79°C Fire Rating (isopropanol) 2]. Note May vary depending on carrier solvent used in liquid formulations. Contact with oxidizers may cause the release of toxic phosphorus oxides. May react violently with antimony(V) pentafluoride. Contact with strong reducing agents, including metal hydrides, nitrides, sulfides, alkali metals, and metal alkyls, may cause the formation of... 

The following feamres of liquid explosive mixture, in comparison with solid explosives, are the main reason to attract widespread attention. 

It has developed a series of liquid explosives with multispecies since first synthesis. According to their reaction characteristics, liquid explosives are classified into single compound liquid explosives and liquid explosive mixture. Single compound liquid explosives, such as nitrate esters, nitro alkanes, azide esters, azide alkanes, and azide nitro alcohol, consist of a single explosive liquid compound. Without any other additions, a single compound liquid explosive can be directly initiated by a detonator or flame. Its explosion strength is, sometimes, over TNT energy. 

The combustible agents of liquid explosive mixture include hydrocarbons, nitro compounds, hydrazine, and aluminum. The combustible agents used in condensed composite explosives can be used as combustible agents of liquid explosives. 

Ludwig F et al (1967) liquid explosive mixture containing nitromethane and ethylenediaming. US Patent 3,309,251... 

The liquid explosive, with zero or near zero oxygen balance, has relatively large detonation strength and detonation intensity [3-5]. In Table 3.2, a set of oxygen balance, detonation strength, and detonation intensity test data of nitric acid-toluene liquid explosive mixture was listed. The experiment results showed that nitric acid-toluene liquid explosive mixture, when the composition was close to zero oxygen balance, had relatively high explosive property while, had relatively low explosive... 

Neat solution-type liquid explosives are molecular mixture of all components with the best dispersion, mixing homogeneousness, and density consistency. Liquid explosives with suspended solid particles has the liquid primary explosive as the continuous media to form a sol-gel with the help of thickening agents, and their solid phase is suspended homogeneously in the system to form a mixture system. And the solid particles are surrounded by the liquid phase solution, and there are relatively ideal dispersion and uniformity of every component. Therefore, both of these two liquid explosive mixtures have sufficient explosion thermochemical reaction conditions, which makes almost aU chemical potentials of the explosive system can be released in the explosion reaction zone. And the calculation of liquid explosives with the dispersion of solid particles can be done according to the explosion property parameters of general explosive mixtures. 

The explosion of 1-nitrobutane is very weak and it can not be used alone as the liquid explosive. But it be the energetic component in a liquid explosive mixture, the liquid propellant fuel, and also a gasoline additive. In the chemical industry, it is mainly used as intermediate and solvent of organic synthesis. 

Acetyl glycerine dinitrate is usually mixed with nitroglycerine with a ratio of 80 20 to be a liquid explosive mixture. The explosion strength of this liquid explosive mixture is about 90 % of nitroglycerine. 

Low-carbon nitroalkanes have similar physical properties as nitromethane, but they are comparatively more difficult to detonate, exhibiting inferior detonation properties, therefore, they are mainly used in liquid explosive mixtures to lower the freezing point of nitromethane. Table 7.1 listed the physical properties of four low-carbon nitroalkanes including nitromethane (NM), nitroethane (NE), o-nitropro-pane, and nitropropane. 

The major hurdle to direcdy use pure nitromethane as liquid explosives is that its detonating sensitivity is too low. Consequently, a large number of researchers have devoted enormous efforts to the integrated and comprehensive smdies aiming to solve this problem. As a result, it was found that adding other liquids into nitromethane can produce a wide variety of liquid explosive mixtures. 

Adding dichioromethane to nitromethane can reduce its freezing point. Particularly, adding 2-12 % of diethylenetriamine (NH2C2H4NHC2H4NH2) as a sensitizer can produce liquid explosive mixture suitable to low temperature usage [35]. For example, when 2-12 % diethylenetriamine was added into the mixture of nitromethane and dichioromethane (70/30), the explosive mixture does not freeze at -40 °C and still can transmit detonation in a stable manner. When 10-12 % of diethylenetriamine was employed, the explosive mixture can detonate even at -51.1 °C. Table 7.4 showed the detonation properties of the mixture of nitromethane and dichioromethane (70/30) with 2 % sensitizer. 

The large-caliber weapon system Laboratory of US Army Ordnance Research and development board [1] evaluated five kinds of explosives for the purpose of mining single bunker, and they recommended three nitromethane-containing liquid explosive mixtures. The compositions were shown in Table 7.11. 

It was found that adding trinitroethanol orthocarbonate into nitroalkane can produce a liquid explosive with high detonation velocity, excellent detonation properties and remarkable ability to transmit detonation [44, 45]. Table 7.12 showed the composition of liquid explosive mixture of nitroalkanes with TNEOC and TNEOF. 

The liquid explosives mixture of trinitroethanol orthocarbonate and nitroalkanes have decent chemical stability, which allows them to be stored in glassware for 6 month at room temperature, or for 5 days at 60 °C. In these cases, neither decomposition nor change of explosive properties was observed. The density and detonation velocity of such explosives are close to nitroglycerine, and they can be detonated by No.6 detonators to afford stable detonation transmission with critical diameter less than 4 mm. In addition, their impact sensitivity is also very low, and... 

Table 7.12 Liquid explosive mixture of nitroalkanes with TNEOC and TNEOF [1]...

Liquid Explosive Mixtures detonation conditions, and velocity of liquid nitroglycerin... 

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