Thermobaric Weapons

There are two related weapon systems in this category the thermobaric weapons and the Fuel Air Systems, also known in German as aerosol bombs (FAE, Fuel Air Explosive). Both function according to the same principle. 

For thermobaric weapons (also known as EBX = enhanced blast explosives), in addition to a conventional explosion, a flammable substance (usually Al), with little or no oxidizer (e.g. oxygen) distributed in the air detonates immediately as a result of the explosion. This post-detonative reaction ( fireball of Al with air) usually occurs within jus after the detonation of the high explosive. This causes the effect of the original explosion to be magnified which results in an even larger heat... 

As discussed above, thermobaric weapons contain monopropellants or secondary explosives and energetic particles. Boron, aluminum, silicon, titanium, magnesium, zirconium and carbon can be considered to be energetic particles. The main advantage of thermobaric systems is that they release large quantities of heat and pressure, often in amounts larger than for only secondary explosives. 

In thermobaric weapons, highly aluminized secondary explosives can be used instead of monopropellants. For example, RDX in combination with a binder and a large quantity of aluminum (fuel rich) can be used. Research is currently being undertaken to investigate energetic polymers which could possibly be metallized for possible applications. 

In thermobaric weapons, first anaerobic detonation occurs within the microsecond time-frame, followed by a post-detonative combustion which is also anaerobic and occurs in the hundredth of a microsecond time-frame. Only then, the post detonative burning occurs, which lasts several milliseconds and generates strong heat radiation even at small shock-wave pressures (approx. 10 bar)... 

The following relationship gives a conservative approximation for the distance from the detonation of a thermobaric weapon, which can still experience large damage as a result of the heat and pressure-wave generated. D is the distance (in meters), C is a constant (0.15 for an assumed overpressure of 70 mbar), n is the so-called yield factor from the burning (normally 0.1) and E is the energy (in J) released on the explosion and combustion. 

Thermobaric weapons can be used as bombs or as shoulder-launch mobile systems. There are two fields of operation for which the thermobaric weapons are superior to other systems ... 

Details A liquid with a characteristic smell of natural gas/ether/benzene, and an epoxide. It is used to produce polyether polyols and the polymer polypropylene oxide (polypropylene glycol) and used as a preservative, and in thermobaric weapons (also called high-impulse thermobaric weapons or fuel-air explosives). 

For thermobaric weapons (also known as EBX = enhanced blast explosives), in addition to a conventional explosion, a flammable substance (usually Al), with... 

The first recorded dust explosion occurred when a bakery storeroom exploded in a small city called Turin (Italy) way back in 1785. Such an explosion is also labeled as thermobaric , a chemical reaction that produces extremely high pressure and heat very rapidly. In the early 1960s, scientists began experimenting with this concept to produce a weapon that uses the same principle, but employs volatile gases and finely powered explosives. 

---