Picric acid, Trauzl test

VIII. Explosive Characteristics. Picric Acid is generally considered to be a relatively insensi tive but brisant expl. On a qualitative sensitivity scale of comparing common expls, PA would be judged to be more sensitive than TNT but appreciably less sensitive than Tetryl. Its power and brisance are also similar to those of TNT (112% TNT in the Ballistic Mortar 101% of TNT in the Trauzl Block and 107% in the plate dent test (Ref 48). In this section we will consider the steady detonation parameters. initiation characteristics and potential hazards of PA... 

International Heat Test at 75°, 0.4% loss in 48hrs reported by British no loss reported in tests conducted at Picatinny Arsenal Power by Trauzl Pb Block, 146 vs 100 for Picric Acid... 

Its Impact Sensitivity with 2kg wt app is 115cm vs 40cm for Picric Acid. Power by Trauzl Test — 111% of TNT (Refs 7 St 8)... 

Impact Sensitivity — FI 92% Picric Acid Power by Trauzl Test — 87% Picric Acid Refs 1) Beil 12, 180, (166) St [1053... 

It is an expl which was examined during WWII in GtBritain and the USA and found to be less powerful than TNT or Picric Acid (75% of PA by Trauzl Test) andmore sensitive to impact (FI 117% PA) (Ref 10, p 74)... 

The kinetics of the alkaline decompn of the subject compd was studied by Jones (Ref 3) Simkins Wright (Ref 4) prepd the compd by different methods and detd irs expl props, which are as follows 1) comparable to Tetryl in expl props 2) FI - 78% of Picric Acid 3) power by Trauzl test 136% of PA 4) Decomp w/o ignition at 205°, but ignites at once at 350° 5) decompd... 

In the small Trauzl test pentryl caused an expansion of 15.8 cc., while the same weight of tetryl caused one of 13.8 cc., TNT 12.2 cc., and picric acid 12.4 cc. In the small lead block compression test, in which 60 grams of the explosive was exploded by means of a detonator on top of a lead cylinder 64 mm. long, it was found that pentryl produced a shortening of the block of 18.5 mm., tetryl 16.6 mm., picric acid 16.4 mm., TNT 14.8 mm., and diazodinitrophenol 10.5 mm. Determinations of velocity of detonation made with half-meter lengths, the explosives being... 

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