EXPLOSIVES
USE OF EXPLOSIVES
weapon to criminals bent on revenge
destruction of commercial operations
plain mischief
politically motivated bombings
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EXPLOSION
a chemical or mechanical
action caused by
combustion and
accompanied by the
creation of heat and the
rapid expansion of gases
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EXPLOSIVES
substances that undergo a rapid exothermic oxidation reaction,
producing large quantities of gases
sudden buildup of gas pressure constitutes an explosion
detonation occurs so rapidly that oxygen in the air cannot participate in
the reaction
many explosives must have their own source of oxygen
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EXPLOSIVES
compounds that are unstable and break down
with the sudden release of large amounts of
energy
consists of the following:
1. explosive material or mixture
2. container
3. ignition source
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OXIDIZING AGENT
a substance that supplies oxygen to
a chemical reaction
found in black powder
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BLACK POWDER
a low explosive
composed of a mixture of the following chemical
ingredients:
75% potassium nitrate (KNO3 ), 15% charcoal
(C), 10% sulfur (S)
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NITROGLYCERINE
an example of explosives having their
oxygen and fuel components combined
within one molecule
when nitroglycerin detonates, large quantities of energy are
released as the molecule decomposes, and the oxygen
recombines to produce large volumes of carbon dioxide,
nitrogen, and water
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EXPLOSIVE CHARGE
Unconfined space:
Deflagration of Confined space:
unconfined Black Powder Fun:
blackpowder Part 1 (youtube.com)
(youtube.com)
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DEFLAGRATION
burning action
a very rapid oxidation reaction
accompanied by the generation of a low-
intensity pressure wave that can disrupt
the surroundings
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DETONATION
an extremely rapid oxidation reaction
accompanied by a violent disruptive effect and an
intense, high-speed shock wave
shock wave breaks the chemical bonds of the
explosive charge, leading to a new, instantaneous
buildup of heat and gases
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TYPES OF EXPLOSIVES
Base on speed of detonation
• Low explosive
• High explosive
Based on sensitivity to heat, shock, or friction
• Primary explosive
• Secondary explosive
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LOW EXPLOSIVES
decompose relatively
slow
rates up to 1,000 m/s
slow burning rates
produce a propelling or
throwing action
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BLACK POWDER
most widely used explosives in the
low-explosive group
accessible to the public (available in
any gun store)
can easily be made from ingredients
purchased at any chemical supply
house
a relatively stable mixture of
potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate
with charcoal and sulfur
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SAFETY
FUSE
carry a flame to an explosive charge
usually consists of black powder
wrapped in a fabric or plastic casing
when ignited, a sufficient length of fuse
will burn at a rate slow enough to allow
a person adequate time to leave the site
of the pending explosion
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most widely used explosives in the low-explosive group
SMOKELESS accessible to the public (available in any gun store)
safest and most powerful low explosive
POWDER usually consists of nitrated cotton or nitrocellulose
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SINGLE-BASE
POWDER
Nitrocellulose (cellulose nitrate) – a
highly flammable compound
created by nitrating cellulose with a
mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric
acid
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DOUBLE-BASE POWDER
nitroglycerin mixed with nitrocellulose
the powder is manufactured in a variety of grain sizes
and shapes, according to the intended applications
a type of smokeless propellant used in firearms and
artillery
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Nitrocellulose +
Nitroglycerin +
TRIPLE- Nitroguanidine
BASE
a type of smokeless
POWDER propellant used in large-
caliber munitions and
artillery
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CHLORATE MIXTURES
oxidizing agent potassium chlorate + sugar
combined with chlorate to produce an explosive
are carbon, sulfur, starch, phosphorus, and
magnesium filings
may be ignited by heat generated from a chemical
reaction
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GAS-AIR MIXTURES
created when a considerable quantity of
natural gas escapes into a confined area
and mixes with a sufficient amount of air
if ignited, this mixture results in
simultaneous combustion and sudden
production of large volumes of gases and
heat
mixtures of air and a gaseous fuel explode
or burn only within a limited
concentration range
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GAS-AIR MIXTURES
No explosion will occur if:
• in the presence of too much air, the fuel becomes too diluted and does not ignite
• if the fuel becomes too concentrated, ignition is prevented because there is not enough oxygen
to support the combustion
Rich mixture - mixtures at or near the upper concentration limit explode; however, some gas
remains unconsumed because there is not enough oxygen to complete the combustion. As air
rushes back into the origin of the explosion, it combines with the residual hot gas, producing a fire
that is characterized by a whoosh sound. This fire is often more destructive than the explosion
that preceded it.
Lean mixture - mixtures near the lower end of the limit generally cause an explosion without
causing accompanying damage due to fire
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HIGH EXPLOSIVES
include dynamite, TNT, PETN, and RDX
detonate almost instantaneously at rates of 1,000 to 8,500 m/s
produce a smashing or shattering effect on their target
classified into two groups—primary and secondary explosives—based on
their sensitivity to heat, shock, or friction
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PRIMARY EXPLOSIVES
ultrasensitive to heat, shock, or friction
under normal conditions, detonate violently instead of
burning
used to detonate other explosives through a chain reaction
and are often referred to as primers
provide the major ingredients of blasting caps (i.e., small
explosive devices used to detonate larger explosives)
include lead azide, lead styphnate, and diazodinitrophenol
because of their extreme sensitivity, these explosives are
rarely used as the main charge of a homemade bomb
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SECONDARY EXPLOSIVES
relatively insensitive to heat, shock, or friction
normally burn rather than detonate when small quantities are ignited
in open air
comprises most high explosives used for commercial and military
blasting
common examples are dynamite, TNT (trinitrotoluene), PETN (pentaerythritol
tetranitrate), RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine), and tetryl (2,4,6-
trinitrophenylmethylnitramine)
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DYNAMITE
in 1867, the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, searching for a method to desensitize nitroglycerin, found that
when kieselguhr, a variety of diatomaceous earth, absorbed a large portion of nitroglycerin, it became far
less sensitive but still retained its explosive force
Nobel later decided to use wood pulp as an absorbent instead
because kieselguhr is a heat-absorbing material
this so-called pulp dynamite was the beginning of what is now
known as the straight dynamite series
these dynamites are used when a quick shattering action is
desired
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AMMONIUM
NITRATE
ammonium nitrate–based explosives—that is, water
gels, emulsions, and ANFO explosives
these explosives mix oxygen-rich ammonium nitrate
with a fuel to form a low-cost and very stable explosive
ammonium nitrate in the form of fertilizer makes a
readily obtainable ingredient for homemade explosives
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AN WATER GELS EXPLOSIVES
water gels have a consistency resembling that of set gelatin or gel-type
toothpaste
they are characterized by their water-resistant nature and are employed for all
types of blasting under wet conditions
these explosives are based on formulations of ammonium nitrate and sodium
nitrate gelled with a natural polysaccharide such as guar gum
commonly, a combustible material such as aluminum is mixed into the gel to
serve as the explosive’s fuel
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AN EMULSION EXPLOSIVES
emulsion explosives differ from gels in that they consist of two distinct phases, an oil phase and a
water phase
in these emulsions, a droplet of a supersaturated solution of ammonium nitrate is surrounded by a
hydrocarbon serving as a fuel
a typical emulsion consists of water, one or more inorganic nitrate oxidizers, oil, and emulsifying
agents
emulsions contain micron-sized glass, resin, or ceramic spheres known as microspheres or
microballoons
the size of these spheres controls the explosive’s sensitivity and detonation velocity
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AN FUEL OIL (ANFO)
ammonium nitrate soaked in fuel oil is an explosive
known as ANFO
such commercial explosives are inexpensive and safe
to handle and have found wide applications in
blasting operations in the mining industry
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TRIACETONE TRIPEROXIDE (TATP)
an improvised homemade explosive that has been used by
terrorist organizations in Israel and other Middle Eastern
countries
prepared by reacting the common ingredients of acetone and
hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an acid catalyst such as
hydrochloric acid
a friction- and impact-sensitive explosive that is extremely potent
when confined in a container such as a pipe
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TRIACETONE TRIPEROXIDE (TATP)
the 2005 London transit bombings were caused by TATP-based explosives and provide ample
evidence that terrorist cells have moved TATP outside the Middle East
a London bus destroyed by one of the TATP bombs
a plot to use a ―liquid explosive‖ to blow up ten planes on international flights from Britain to the
United States apparently involved plans to smuggle the peroxide-based TATP explosive onto the
planes
this plot has prompted authorities to prohibit airline passengers from carrying liquids and gels
onto planes
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MILITARY HIGH EXPLOSIVES
in many countries outside the United States, the accessibility of high explosives to
terrorist organizations makes them very common constituents of homemade bombs
RDX, the most popular and powerful military explosive, is often encountered in the
form of a pliable plastic of doughlike consistency known by the US military’s
designation composition C–4
TNT was produced and used on an enormous scale during World War II and may be
considered the most important military bursting-charge explosive
application in shells, bombs, grenades, demolition explosives, and propellant
compositions
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MILITARY HIGH EXPLOSIVES
military ―dynamite‖ contains no nitroglycerin but is actually composed of a mixture of RDX
and TNT
TNT is rarely encountered in bombings in the United States
PETN is used by the military in TNT mixtures for small-caliber projectiles and grenades
the chemical is used as the explosive core in a detonating cord or primacord
instead of the slower-burning safety fuse, the detonating cord is often used to connect a series
of explosive charges so that they will detonate simultaneously
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DETONATORS
unlike low explosives, bombs made of high explosives must
be detonated by an initiating explosion
are blasting caps composed of copper or aluminum cases
filled with lead azide as an initiating charge and PETN or
RDX as a detonating charge
blasting caps can be initiated by means of a burning safety
fuse or by an electrical current
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DETONATORS
homemade bombs camouflaged in packages, suitcases, and the like, are
usually initiated with an electrical blasting cap wired to a battery
an unlimited number of switching-mechanism designs have been devised for
setting off these devices; clocks and mercury switches are the most common
bombers sometimes prefer to employ outside electrical sources
most automobile bombs are detonated when the ignition switch of a car is
turned on
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