INTRODUCTION TO
EXPLOSIVES
Types of Energetic Materials
Pyrotechnics
Propellants
Unconfined, referred to as Propellants
Confined, referred to as Low Explosives
Explosives
Primary
Secondary
Cap Sensitive
Blasting Agent
Types of Explosions
1. Mechanical
2. Chemical
3. Nuclear
Types of Explosions
HIGH ORDER vs. LOW ORDER
Applies to High Explosives
Functions as designed vs. fails to fully detonate
CAUSES OF LOW ORDER DETONATIONS
Deterioration of Explosives
Lack of Continuity in Explosives
Inadequate Initiation
Explosive Propagation
Deflagration
Thermal Radiation perpetuates the reaction
Subsonic Reaction
Detonation
Chemical Decomposition characterized by
the presence of a shock wave
Supersonic Speed of Reaction
Explosive Effects
HEAT / FIRE
Fireball generated by reaction
Heat accompanying fireball
FRAGMENTATION
Fragmentation of container for explosives and
other nearby objects
PRESSURE
Gas generated by conversion of solid energetic
material to gaseous state
Explosive Properties
Pressure
Positive Pressure
Short Duration
High Pressure Peaks
Out from Seat of
Blast
Negative Pressure
Long Duration
Low Pressure
Difference
In Towards Seat of
Blast
Positive And Negative Pressure
Explosives Characteristics
Density
Weight per unit volume
Brisance
Shattering Power
Velocity of Detonation
Speed of reaction
Sensitivity
Ease of initiation from Impact, Friction or Blasting
Cap
Velocities of Detonation
Product VoD (fps) Product VoD (fps)
Binary 20,500 Booster 26,000
Water Gel 12,500 - 17,000 Detonating Cord 27,500
Emulsion 15,000 - 18,000 ANFO 13,500*
Low Velocity 5,000 - 8,500 TNT 22,000
Dynamites
High Velocity 17,000 - 22,500 Composition C-4 27,000
Dynamites
* Velocity depends upon confinement, density, booster and charge diameter
Explosives Initiation
A THREE STAGE EXPLOSIVE TRAIN
Typically uses small amounts of highly sensitive explosives to initiate
larger amounts of less sensitive explosives.
Initiation Systems
Initiation Systems
Non-Electrical: Burning
Safety Fuse or Time
Fuse
Construction
Black Powder Core
Layers of Interwoven Cotton
and/or Jute fibers
Tar
Wax or Plastic
Initiation Systems
Non-Electrical: Burning
Safety Fuse
Appearance
Typically is
monochromatic
May have plastic
coat or wax coat
over textiles
Initiation Systems
Non-Electrical: Burning
Fuse Detonators
Shell
Aluminum Alloy
Primary Charge:
Lead Styphnate/Lead
Azide Mixture (typical)
Base Charge:
PETN or RDX
Initiation Systems
Electric Detonators
TYPES OF INITIATORS
Match
Bridgewire
Exploding Bridgewire
TYPES OF DELAY
Pyrotechnic
Electronic
Initiation Systems
Electric Detonators
INSTANTANEOUS
SEISMIC
High precision instantaneous detonator
SHORT PERIOD DELAY
Typically delay periods of 25-100 ms per interval
LONG PERIOD DELAY
Typically delay periods of 250 - 1000 ms per
interval
Detonators
Electric Match
Utilize a thin wire dipped into
pyrotechnic mixture and
coated with lacquer
Predominant type of electric
detonator currently in
production
Detonators
Bridgewire
Use thin wire in loose pack of pyrotechnic
material
Higher precision than match, but more difficult
to manufacture
Detonator Construction
Shell
ALUMIMUM
Most Common
BRONZE
Used for Permissible
Applications
COPPER
Used for Permissible
Applications
PAPER
Detonator Construction
Leg Wires
Insulation
Protect leg wires against short circuits
Conductors
Copper
Tinned Copper
Iron
Tinned Iron
Detonator Construction
Plug and Shell Markings
PLUGS
Plastic or Rubber
Premolded or
injected
MARKINGS
Warning Statements
Delay Markings
Stamped on base
Detonator Construction
Other Components
DELAY TUBES
Steel or Lead
Contain Pyrotechnic Delay Compound
Primary Explosives
Lead Azide
Lead Styphnate
Diazodinitrophenol (DDNP or Diazo)
Secondary Explosives
PETN
RDX
Detonator Construction
Identification Points
•Crimp Style
•Leg Wire Colors
•Closure Plug Material & Construction
•Explosive Materials Used
•Shell Material
•Physical Dimensions
Initiation Systems
Non-Electric Shock Tube Detonators
Initiation Systems
Non-Electric Shock Tube Detonators
Shock Tube
External Layers
Polyethylene
Internal Layer
Surylyn (tm)
Explosive Composition
HMX
Aluminium
1 lb/6,500 ft.
Initiation Systems
Non-Electric Shock Tube Detonators
NONEL CAP CONSTRUCTION
Propellants
Propellants
Black Powder
History
Oldest Explosive Known
Used as both propellant and explosive
Composition
Potassium Nitrate, Sulfur, Charcoal
Appearance
Granular Black Powder
Four Grain Sizes
Fg, FFg, FFFg, FFFFg
Propellants
Pyrodex
History
Subsitute for Black Powder
Equal on Volume Basis
Less Corrosive
Formulation
Perchlorate Based formulation
Use
Small arms
Equivalent sizes to Black Powder and in Pellet
form
Propellants
Smokeless Powders
History
Single Base developed in 1884
Double Base (Ballistite) developed in 1886.
Double Base (Cordite) developed in 1888.
Developed to replace Black Powder
Used as propellant for ammunition from
small arms to cannon
Propellants
Smokeless Powder
Types
Single Base - Nitrocellulose (NC) base
Small Arms Ammunition
Double Base - Nitroglycerine (NG) and
Nitrocellulose (NC) base
Small Arms and larger ordnance ammunition
Triple Base - Nitroglycerine, Nitrocellulose and
Nitroguanadine base
Military rockets
Propellants
Smokeless Powder
Physical Appearance
Extruded Propellants
Usually in the form of a cylinder, length greater
than diameter
Flake or Disc Propellants
Extruded Propellants cut into thin wafers. Width
greater than length
Ball Propellants
Spherical shape, sometimes flattened
Sheet-Cut Flake or Ribbon Cut Propellants
Material rolled flat and cut into diamond or
square shape
Propellants/Pyrotechnics
Improvised Low Explosives
Potassium Chlorate Mixtures
KCl03 And Sugar
Burns inefficiently and less powerful than Black
Powder
Flash Powders
Potassium Perchlorate Mixtures
Flash Powders
Typically used in fireworks compositions
Explosives
Pure Explosive Compounds
Organics Inorganics
Carbon/Hydrogen Do NOT have
Bonds form basis of hydrocarbons
molecule forming structure of
molecule.
Usually ionic acids or
bases, or salts
Usually primary
explosives
Pure Explosives Compounds
Organics
Aromatic Aliphatic
Monosubstituted Nitrate Esters
Trinitrobenzenes (TNBs) Nitroglycerine
TNT Ethylene Glycol
TNB Dinitrate (EGDN)
Tetryl Pentaerythritol
Picric Acid Tetranitrate (PETN)
Polysubstituted TNBs Methyl Nitrate
Trinitroresorcinol Nitramines
Lead Styphnate Cyclonite or RDX
TATB Octogen (HMX)
Pure Explosive Compounds
Inorganics
Fulminates Ammonium Nitrate
Mercury Fulminate
Silver Fulminate
Azides
Lead Azide
Silver Azide
Explosives
Commercial Explosives
Manufactured products used in explosives industry
Military Explosives
Demolition charges and common ordnance in use
by military forces of U.S.
Improvised Explosives
Compounds which can be manufactured by
individual or group
Commercial High
Explosives
Over 5 billion pounds used per year in U.S.
Most of it is Ammonium Nitrate based bulk
explosive
Used in less than 5% of all bombing incidents
Commercial high explosives are designed for
safety in manufacturing, storage, and handling,
consistency and predictability of performance,
low cost, and shelf life as a secondary concern
Commercial High
Explosives
Dynamite
First commercially sucessful high
explosive product
Invented by Alfred Nobel in 1866
Most widely used explosive from 1860’s
to 1940’s
Wide range of powers available across
various types
Commercial High
Explosives
Dynamite
Straight Dynamite - Nitroglycerine added to
Kiselguhr (inert earth)
Gelatin Dynamite - Nitrocellulose added to
Nitroglycerine (also known as Blasting
Gelatin)
Ammonia Dynamite - Ammonium Nitrate
replaces Kiselguhr and adds energy,
reduces cost, less water resistant
Commercial High
Explosives
Dynamite
Ammonia Gelatin - Adds nitrocellulose to
Ammonia dynamite to form gelled product, more
expensive, more water resistant.
Semi-Gelatin Dynamite - Less than ideal amount
of Nitrocellulose added product. Less expensive
than gelatin dynamite, almost as good water
resistance.
Permissible Dynamite - Approved for
underground blasting with reduced flame and
fumes. Specialized products typically used in
coal mines.
Commercial High
Explosives
Dynamite
Packaging
Convolute Paper Shell
Spiral Wound Paper Shell
Commercial High
Explosives
BINARY
Composition:
Ammonium Nitrate & Nitromethane
Packaging
Plastic Tubes (see right)
Plastic Bags
Performance
VoD: approx. 18,000 fps
Uses:
Limited Construction, Farm Use
Commercial High
Explosives
WATER GEL/SLURRIES
Developed as Non-Nitroglycerine alternative
to dynamite
Used in bulk (non-cap sensitive) formulations
starting in 1958
Used in packaged (cap sensitive) formulations
starting in 1970
Consists of Oxidizer, Fuel, Water, Thickener,
Gelling Agent and Sensitizer
Less sensitive, more economical, and more
efficient than dynamites
Commercial High
Explosives
WATER GEL/SLURRIES
Packaged in Plastic Film Cartridges
(chubs)
Can be insensitive at low temperatures
Commercial High
Explosives
EMULSIONS
Introduced as Blasting Agents in 1968
Extremely fine Ammonium Nitrate particles
suspended in fuel and water and stabilized
against separating with emulsifying agent
More efficient, powerful, and stable than
water gels
Equivalent to dynamites in many formulations
Less sensitive than dynamites to heat, shock,
friction and more economical to manufacture
Commercial High
Explosives
EMULSIONS
Packaged in either paper shells (as
dynamites) or plastic film cartridges
Creamy appearance of material
May be colored white, gray or pink
depending on manufacturer
Commercial High
Explosives
BOOSTERS
High Power Explosive(s) mass
produced to set off less sensitive
bulk explosives
Usually TNT cast with other, more
sensitive explosives (PETN or
RDX)
Usually has detonating
cord/detonator wells precast into
explosive
Blasting Cap or Detonating Cord
Sensitive
Commercial High
Explosives
DETONATING CORD
Textile Fibers wrapped
around explosive core
Usually PETN, but may
use RDX, HMX or other
explosives for special
applications
Usually multi-colored
fiber combinations
Various diameters from Commercial 50 gpf Det Cord
7.5 gpf to 400 gpf
Commercial High
Explosives
BULK EXPLOSIVES
Loaded by pneumatic blower or screw drive
from transport truck directly into hole.
Most common use form of commercial
explosives in United States
Usually classified as Blasting Agent
Usually Ammonium Nitrate based
Less powerful than cartridged explosives
Lower water resistance (in some types)
Commercial High
Explosives
Bulk Loading Operations
Blasting Operations
Commercial High
Explosives
BULK EXPLOSIVES
ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate /Fuel Oil)
94% Ammonium Nitrate, 6% Fuel Oil
Emulsions and/or Water Gels
Greater power and water resistance than ANFO
Heavy ANFO (Mixture of Emulsion and ANFO)
More water resistance, greater power than ANFO,
less than bulk Emulsions
Improvised Explosives
INTRODUCTION
A suitable oxidizer and suitable fuel,
properly mixed, can form an improvised
high explosive
Improvised Explosives
Acetone Peroxide
Acetone, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Hydrochloric
Acid
Extremely Sensitive to heat, shock and friction
Hexamethylene Triperoxide Diamine (HMTD)
Hexamine (heating tablets), Hydrogen Peroxide
and Citric Acid
Extremely Sensitive to heat, shock and friction
Improvised Explosives
Ammonium Nitrate Base
Cold Pack
Ammonium Nitrate and Aluminum Powder
ANNIE
Used by some foreign terrorist groups in lieu of other high
explosives
HOMEMADE C-4
As described in underground literature, mixture of Ammonium
Nitrate and Nitromethane
Actually similar to binary explosive
Improvised Explosives
Ammonium Nitrate Base
Ammonium Nitrate and Charcoal (88/12)
Provided in Anarchist Cookbook
Other mixtures with fuel source
Improvised Explosives
Other Compounds
Liquid Oxygen and Carbon Black (Charcoal)
Used commercially during the 1950s
Improvised Explosives
POTASSIUM CHLORATE
POOR MAN’S C-4
Mixture of KClO3 and Petroleum Jelly
Approximately 90/10 mixture of ingredients
Improvised Explosives
General Considerations
Any unknown material should be treated with
extreme caution
Improvised explosive mixtures can be more
sensitive than commercial equivalents due to
poor quality control
Bulk recovered suspect materials should be
destroyed under court order as soon as
possible
Preserve small samples for laboratory analysis
Improvised Explosives
Sources of Information
Internet
Usually information is of poor quality with
incomplete safety instructions and inaccurate
directions
“Underground Publications”
May be more accurate, but still provides
incomplete safety information
Quality varies depending upon publication
Military Explosives
Explosives used by the military can be
broken down into two classifications by
use
Demolition Materials
Ordnance
Military Explosives are designed for long
shelf life, high shattering power
(brisance), and insensitivity to impact
Military Explosives
Trinitrotolulene (TNT)
Packaged in cast 1/4 lb, 1/2 lb and 1 lb
blocks with adapters
Used for general demolition purposes
Cardboard packaging with metal end plates
Military Explosives
Military Dynamite
RDX / TNT Mixture packaged similarly to
commercial dynamite products
Used for general demolition purposes
Being phased out of military supply
channels
Military Explosives
Composition C-4
Plastic demolition explosive which started
development in WWII
Composition 91% RDX, 9%
polyisobutylene
Plastic film wrapper with tape backing
Military Explosives
Sheet Explosives
Explosives such as RDX and/or PETN
combined into molten rubber mixture to
form a thin flexible sheet of explosive
Military uses two variants:
Flex-Ex Detasheet
Military Explosives
Hand Grenades
Mk II Fragmentation (Pineapple)
TNT Filler
Cast Serrations on Exterior
Uneven Fragmentation
M26 Fragmentation (Lemon)
Comp B Filler
Pre-notched wire for
fragmentation
Difficult to throw well
Military Explosives
Hand Grenades
M67 Fragmentation (Baseball)
Comp B Filler
Prenotched Fragmentation in Body
Military Explosives
Rifle Grenades
Designed to slip on muzzle
of rifle and be fired with
blank cartridge
Obsolete, but training
versions may be
purchased at gun shows
and filled with improvised
explosive
Military Explosives
Military Pyrotechnics
M8 Smoke Grenade
White Screening Smoke
M18 Smoke Grenade
Colored Screening/Signaling
Smoke
Military Explosives
Incendiary Grenades
Thermite
Iron Oxide/Aluminum Filler
Burns at over 1200 deg F
Used for destroying equipment
White Phosphorus
Used to signal and/or initiate fires
White phosphorus spontaneously
burns upon exposure to air.
Military Explosives
Mines
M18 Claymore
Directional Mine
1.6 lb Composition C-
4 Main Charge
Steel Ball Bearings as
Fragmentation
60 degree
fragmentation fan
OTHER EXPLOSIVES
Explosive Mixtures
Mixture of two or more pure explosives
Blends include:
Pentolite (PETN/TNT)
Composition B (RDX/TNT)
Octol (HMX/TNT)
Amatol (Ammonium Nitrate/TNT)
Ammonal (Ammonium Nitrate/TNT/Aluminum)
Blasting Accessories
Electric Blasting Machines
Safety Fuse Igniters
Blasting Accessories
Reference Materials
Military Manuals
TM 9-1300-214: Military Explosives
FM 5-250: Explosives and Demolitions
Commercial Sources
Explosives Engineering by Paul Cooper
Introduction to the Technology of Explosives -
Paul Cooper and Stanley Kurowski
Explosives, 4th edition - Rudolph Meyer
Blasters’ Handbook - International Society of
Explosives Engineers
