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Classification of High
Explosives
Peroxides / Ozonides
-O O-O O O-
2.
Chlorates / Perchlorates
-OClO2
-OClO3
3.
Nitro
CNO2, -ONO2
NNO2
4.
Azides
5.
Fulminates
ON
N-N
C
Acetylides
-C
7.
Halides of Nitrogen
8.
Organometalics
RMgX
Primary (Initiatory
Explosives)
Secondary (Military or
Civil Explosives)
Primary Explosives
Composition
Mercuric nitrate + Alcohol (in Nitric acid)
C NO)2Hg
Used in early electrical blasting caps and primers for small arms. Has poor
storage characteristics and corrosiveness.
Salient Features
After initiation it easily detonates and on detonation, it decomposes to stable
products
C NO)2Hg
2CO + N2 + Hg
It is sensitive to impact & friction, and is easily detonated by sparks & flames.
It is also very sensitive to sunlight and decomposes with the evolution of gas but
Other Ex.: AgONC
can be desensitized by the addition of water.
Composition
Lead acetate + Sodium azide
N N N
Pb
N N N
(Curtius, 1891)
A major initiating explosive used in all blasting caps and other hot-wire
detonators due to excellent storage characteristics.
Salient Features
It has a good shelf life in dry conditions, but is unstable in the presence of
moisture and oxidising agents.
Composition
O
O2N
NO2
Pb
O
NO2
Salient Features
Lead 2,4,6-trinitroresorcinate
2+
Composition
Silver nitrate + Sodium azide
AgN N N
Salient Features
It is slightly hygroscopic and is very vigorous initiator. It decomposes under the
Tetrazene (C2H8N10O)
Composition
Sodium nitrite + Aminoguanidine
NH2
C N N N C NH2 . H2O
N N
NH
H
Tetrazolyl guanyltetrazene hydrate
Salient Features
It is slightly hygroscopic and stable at ambient temperatures. It hydrolyses in
Secondary Explosives
Blackpowder (Gunpowder)
Composition
Blackpowder
Characteristics
Nitroglycerine
Composition
H
H C OH
Nitration
H C OH
H C O NO2
H C OH
H
H C O NO2
H
Glycerol
H
H C O NO2
Nitroglycerine
Characteristics
Nitroglycerine has advantage over blackpowder as it contains both fuel and oxidizer
elements in the same molecule which gives intimate contact for both components.
Used for difficult mining & tunnelling operations.
Nitrocellulose (Guncotton)
Composition
CH2OH
H CH
O
CH2ONO2
O
OH
C
H
C
OH
C
H
Nitration
O
n
Cellulose
H CH
C
ONO2 H
C
C
H
C
H
ONO2
Nitrocellulose
Characteristics
Dynamite
Composition
Alfred Nobel (1875) discovered that on mixing nitrocellulose with
nitroglycerine a gel was formed, named as Dynamite.
Characteristics
This gel was developed to produce blasting gelatine, gelatine dynamite and
Ammonium Nitrate
Composition
NH3 + HNO3
Ammonia
(NH4NO3)
Nitric acid
(Glauber, 1654)
Characteristics
When mixed with other explosives or with fuels in the form of powder, slurry, or
gel mixtures, it becomes an effective an inexpensive commercial explosive for use
in blasting.
Composition
OH
OH
Nitration
O2 N
Phenol
Characteristics
NO2
NO2
Tetryl
(2,4,6-trinitrophenylmethylnitramine)
Composition
H3C
H3C
CH3
Nitration
NO2
O2 N
Dimethylaniline
NO2
NO2
(Mertens, 1877)
Characteristics
It is pale, yellow, crystalline solid with melting temp. 129 OC
It is moderately sensitive to initiation by friction.
It was extensively used during World War II.
Tetryl is quite toxic to handle and is therefore replaced by RDX.
TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene)
Composition
CH3
CH3
Nitration
O2N
NO2
3 step process
Toluene
NO2
(Wilbrand, 1863)
Characteristics
It is pale, yellow, crystalline solid with melting temp. 80.8 OC.
It has good chemical and thermal stability and has good compatibility with
other explosives.
It has low manufacturing cost and is safe in handling with low sensitivity to
impact and friction.
Nitroguanidine (Picrite)
Composition
NH2
HN C
NH2
Nitration
NH2
HN C
N NO2
H
Guanidine
(Jousselin, 1877)
Characteristics
It is stable below its melting point (232 OC) but decomposes very fast on
melting to form ammonia, water vapor and solid products.
It is also used as propellants as it possesses a low heat and temperature of
explosion.
Composition
H2 H2
HO C C OH
C
HO C H2C OH
H2
Nitration
H2 H2
O2N O C C O NO2
C
O2N O C H2C O NO2
H2
Pentaerythritol
Characteristics
It is most stable and least reactive nitric ester explosive.
A powerful secondary explosive and has a great shattering effect therefore,
used in commercial blasting caps, detonation cords and boosters.
It is sensitive to friction and impact and hence mixed with polymer bonded
explosives (PBX).
RDX
(Hexogen/Cyclonite/Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine)
Composition
N
N
N
N
Hexamethylenetetramine
Nitration
NO2
N
CH2
CH2
O2 N N
C
H2
N NO2
Characteristics
RDX is white crystalline solid with melting temp. 204 OC.
It is chemically and thermally more stable than PETN.
Insensitive explosive compositions containing RDX can be achieved by
embedding the RDX crystals in a polymeric matrix as PBX.
HMX
(Octogen / Cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine)
Composition
NO2
N
N
N
N
Hexamethylenetetramine
Nitration
(acetic anhydride,
paraformaldehyde &
ammonium nitrate)
H2C
O2 N N
H2C
CH2
N NO2
CH2
N
NO2
Characteristics
It is also formed as a by product in the manufacturing of RDX.
It appears in 4 different crystalline forms in which the -form is least
sensitive to impact and hence employed in secondary explosives.
The ignition temp. of HMX (335 OC) is higher than RDX (260 OC) .
It is more resistant to attack by alkali than RDX however, its explosive
power is slightly lesser than RDX.
TATB (triaminotrinitrobenzene)
Composition
Nitration
Cl
Cl
O 2N
NO2
Cl
Cl
NO2
NH2
Cl
Cl
Characteristics
Amination
O 2N
NO2
H2N
NH2
NO2
(Jackson and Wing, 1888)
It is a yellow-brown coloured.
HNS (Hexanitrostilbene)
Composition
CH3
O2N
NO2
NaOCl
Oxidation
NO2
O2 N
NO2 O2N
H
C C
H
NO2 O2N
Characteristics
It is insensitive to electric spark.
NO2
NTO (5-nitro-1,2,4-triazole-3-one)
Composition
O
HCl
H2N C
HN NH2
HCOOH
Semicarbazide
hydrochloride
H
N
HN
TO
Nitration
CH
HN
H
N
C NO2
NTO
Characteristics
It is a new energetic material having stability greater than RDX. It is
also less sensitive.
NTO is a substitute for ammonium perchlorate or ammonium nitrate in
solid rocket propellants (since it does not liberate undesirable products
such as HCl).
TNAZ (1,3,3-trinitroazetidine)
Composition
O
Cl
(Epichlorohydrin)
Multi-step
Synthesis
Fluorochem Process
NO2
N
H2C CH2
C
NO2
O2N
Characteristics
It is a white crystalline solid having melting temp. 101 OC.