Substances, explosive, very insensitive

Individual chemicals may be so prepared or mixed to be suitable for use as either deflagrating or detonating explosives. Explosives find wide use as mining and constmction to blast ore, coal, and rock in petroleum prospecting and oil well production in manufacturing to bond metals and manufacture diamonds as pyrotechnics and in the aerospace Industry. Military explosives are used in demolition, ammunition, pyrotechnics, signals, and the like. 

In transportation terms, explosives are divided into six divisions (1.1 to 1.6) based on the (1) speed with which they react (2) sensitivity and modes of initiation (3) explosive power and (4) effects of the packaging or article to contain the explosive. 

Explosives are further assigned to one of thirteen compatibility groups (A through H, J, K, L, N, S) which identify the explosive article or substance and allow identification of other compatible explosives. 

A large number of chemicals, usually organic compounds of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, exhibit explosive properties  

Smokeless powders, solid low explosives, are virtually smokeless in comparison to black powder. They are also less susceptible to damp, store better, are more powerful, and bum at a more easily controlled rate. These benefits come with the disadvantage that they bum hotter and cause greater damage to the barrels of weapons in which they are used extensively as ammunition propellants. The length of a weapon s barrel and other ballistic requirements result in smokeless powder for pistol ammunition being in flakes, which bums quickly, while slower burning balls, cylinders, or tubes are used for rifle ammunition riflepowder). There are three types of smokeless powder  

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Substances, Explosive, Very Insensitive (Substances, EVI), N.O.S. Substances which present a mass explosion hazard but which are so insensitive that there is very little probability of initiation, or of transition from burning to detonation (under normal conditions of transport) and which have passed Test Series 5. UN App. B, US 173.59... 

Substances and articles that have a projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard Substances and articles that have a fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or a minor projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard Substances and articles that present no significant hazard Very insensitive substances that have a mass explosion hazard Extremely insensitive articles which do not have a mass explosion hazard... 

Very insensitive substances that have a mass explosion hazard 1.5... 

Very insensitive substances having a mass explosion hazard which are so insensitive that there is very little probability of initiation or of transition from burning to detonation under normal conditions of carriage. 

Very insensitive substances which have a mass explosion hazard Extremely insensitive articles which do not have a mass explosion hazard... 

Explosives with a mass explosion hazard Explosives with a projection hazard Explosives with predominately a fire hazard Explosives with no significant blast hazard Very insensitive explosives blasting agents Extremely insensitive detonating substances... 

Explosive, Extremely Insensitive Detonating Substance (EIDS) A substance which, although capable of sustaining a detonation, has demonstrated through tests that it is so insensitive that there is very little probability of accidental initiation. UN App. B, ICAO A2, US 173.59, lATA App. A... 

Division 1.5 Very insensitive explosives blasting agents Division 1.6 Extremely insensitive detonating substances Class 2 Gases... 

From the perspective of sensitivity, the most sensitive energetic materials are primary explosives, less sensitive are secondary explosives, and very insensitive are tertiary explosives. Rigorous limits between these groups do not exist and new explosives are therefore related to the existing ones through a series of comparative experiments. Some authors define primary explosives as substances being more sensitive than PETN. 

Explosive substances can therefore be classified into three main groups using the results of the impact and friction sensitivity tests. These classes are very sensitive , sensitive and comparatively insensitive . By using the results of the tests carried out on the Rotter Impact Machine, explosive materials can be categorized into these three classifications as shown in Figure 4.2. 

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