EXPLOSIVES

Q. What is an explosive? Classify explosives with examples. What is the

requirement of good explosives? [1+2+2]
Use of Explosive: -
The explosive can be used for both constructive and
destructive proposes. In constructive it is used mainly
to do work in industry, explosives are used for
blasting ores or iron and other metals, in coal and
lime stone industries, in blasting holes in mountains,
excavating earth etc. Similarly in destructive uses it
can be used in making bombs and grenades etc.
Explosives can be defined as a mixture of substances, which
get very rapid, oxidized exothermically when subjected to
thermal or mechanical sock. The reaction result in the
increase of volume with sudden release of potential energy.
Thus explosives are the substances capable of instantaneous
ignition and resulting of gases and consequent generation of
sudden pressure in surrounding.
The reaction in the explosive substances is exothermic. When
this extremely rapid chemical change takes place in a confined
space, an extremely high pressure is developed which shatters
the confining walls.
 Q. List the important characteristics of
Characteristic of an explosive explosives [2]
To be a good explosive, it should have following characteristics.
1) The rate of decomposition should be fast to produce a large volume of gaseous
products exothermically.
2) It should have positive oxygen balance which is a measure of the oxygen present in
the molecules that can be used to oxidize carbon to carbon dioxide and hydrogen to
water.
3) It should be cheap
4) Explosive should be chemically stable
5) Explosive must not be volatile and hygroscopic
6) Explosive should not react with the container material.
7) It must have at least one chemical bond that can be easily broken. It should also

have negative free energy of formation. In order to enhance cleavage of thermal or

Classification Explosive:
Explosives are usually classified under three broad
classes.
 
A)Primary or initiation explosives (detonators)
These explosives are highly sensitive explosives. It can
be explode on receiving a slight shock or by fire,. It
should be handled with utmost care. They are mainly
used in small quantities in shell and cartridges to start or
initiate the explosion of main explosive which is
comparatively more stable. Few examples of primary
explosives are as follows.
 
 1) Lead azide ( PbN6)
Lead azides are low cast explosive. It has excellent initiation
action and stable in storage. It is very popular for military uses due
to i.) Low cost ii) Excellent initiating action iii) Stability in
storage. Since lead azides reacts with brass. So, the caps loaded
with it are made of aluminium. It can be prepare by reacting
sodamine and nitrous oxide and followed by treating the sodium
azide so formed with lead acetate.
6NH3 + 2 Na → 2NaNH2 + 3H2
NaNH2 + N2O  NaN3 + H2O
2NaN3 + Pb(OAc)2 →Pb(N3)2 + 2AcONa
 
Decomposition reaction
Pb(N3)2 → Pb + 3N2 + heat
2) Mercury fulminate [Hg (CNO)2] :-

It is most sensitive explosive. It is more expensive

explosive. It can be prepare by dissolving mercury in
excess of nitric acid and then pouring the resulting
solution in ethyl alcohol, when the solution starts
boiling and mercury fulminates in precipitated. Due to
its slight toxic nature, it is relatively less used.
Decomposing reaction
 
Hg(CNO)2 → Hg(g) + N2 + CO + 117 kcal.
 Q. Give an account of low and high explosives. [2]
B) Low explosive( Propellants):-

Low explosives can simply burn and they do not explode suddenly. The
chemical reaction taking place in such explosive are slow. The gases evolved
disperse readily, without building high pressure, and consequently can be
controlled easily. Low explosives are mostly solid combustible materials that
decompose rapidly but do not normally detonate.This action is known as
deflagration. Upon ignition and decomposition, low explosives develop a large
volume of gases that produces enough pressure to throw a projectile in a
definite direction. The rate of burning is an important charactereistic that
depends upon such factors as combustion conditions, low explosives may be
made to detonate in the same manner as high explosives.
Few examples of low explosives are as follow.
 1) Black powder ( gun-powder):-
Gun powder is a mixture of 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal and 10%
sulfur. The decomposing reaction of gun powder is
10KNO3 + 3S + 8C → 3K2SO4 + 2K2CO3 + 6CO2 + 5N2
presence of excess of carbon and sulfur again reacts with potassium sulfate
and potassium carbonate to produce more gases respectively
4K2SO4 + 7C → 2K2CO3 + 2K2S2 + 5CO2↑

4K2CO3 + 7S → K2SO4 + 2K2S2 + 5CO2↑

The reaction also results in the production of potassium carbonate and
potassium sulfate again. The excess of carbon and sulfur leads to the
production of gases again. So the large volume of gaseous products account
for its explosive effect.It is cheap and excellent explosive for blasting down
of coal.
High explosives:-

High explosives are quite stable and nearly insensitive to fire and mechanical sock. So in
order to initiate explosion, small amount of detonator is place with it. High explosives
are usually nitration products of organic substances, such as toluene, phenol,
pentaerythritol, amines,glycerin, and starch and may be nitrogen containing inorganic
substances or mixture of several compounds with additives such as powered
metals(aluminium),plasticizing oils,or waxes that impart desired stability and
performance characterestics. A high explosive is characterized by the extreme rapidity
with which its decomposition occurs,this action is known a detonation.When initated by a
blow or shock,it will decomposes almost instantaneously in a manner similar to an
extremely rapid combustion or with rupture and rearrangement of the molecules
themselves. In either case gaseous and solid products of reaction are produced. The
disruptive effect of the reaction makes these explosives valuable as a bursting charge but
precludes their use as a low explosive propellant. High explosives can be groups under
 Q.Write the preparation and uses
of TNT [2]

Q. Give the Prepn and uses of explosive obtained from toluene. [2]
Q. What are plastic explosives? [1]
Q. Write the preparation and applications of GTN [3]
THANKS