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R. Meyer J. Köhler A. Homburg Explosives Explosives. Sixth Edition. Rudolf Meyer, Josef Köhler, Axel Homburg Copyright © 2007 Wiley-VCH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim ISBN: 978-3-527-31656-4 Rudolf Meyer Josef Köhler Axel Homburg Explosives Sixth, Completely Revised Edition Dr. Rudolf Meyer (†) (formerly: WASAG Chemie AG, Essen, Germany) Josef Köhler Fronweg 1 A-4784 Schardenberg Dr.-Ing. Axel Homburg c/o Dynamit Nobel GmbH Kaiserstr. 1 D-53839 Troisdorf This book was carefully produced. Nevertheless, authors and publisher do not warrant the information contained therein to be free of errors. Readers are advised to keep in mind that statements, data, illustrations, procedural details or other items may inad- vertently be inaccurate. First Edition 1977 Second, Revised and Extended Edition 1981 Third, Revised and Extended Edition 1987 Fourth, Revised and Extended Edition 1994 Fifth, Completely Revised Edition, 2002 Sixth, Completely Revised Edition, 2007 Library of Congress Card No.: Applied for. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at <http://dnb.d-nb.de> © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, 2007 ISBN 978-3-527-31656-4 Printed on acid-free paper. All rights reserved (including those of translation in other languages). No part of this book may be reproduced in any form – by photoprinting, microfilm, or any other means – nor transmitted or translated into machine language without written permission from the publishers. Registered names, trademarks, etc. used in this book, even when not specifi- cally marked as such, are not to be considered unprotected by law. Composition: Typomedia, Ostfildern Printing: betz-druck GmbH, Darmstadt Bookbinding: Litges & Dopf Buchbinderei GmbH, Heppenheim Cover Design: Wolfgang Scheffler, Mainz Wiley Bicentennial Logo: Richard J. Pacifico Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany. Preface The sixth English edition of “Explosives” which is now available can look back over a history of 30 years since it was first published. On the initiative of its main author Dr. Rudolf Meyer (who regrettably died in 2000), the first copy of the German version of “Explosivstoffe”, which had become known far beyond the borders of German-speaking countries, was first translated in 1977. It was also Dr. Rudolf Meyer, who in 1961, in his function of Technical Director of the German company WASAG Chemie AG, gave new impetus to the company brochure to achieve its present form. The preparation of all the current German and English editions have a closely-knit history with the Fraunhofer Institut für chemische Techno- logie (ICT, formerly the Institut für Chemie der Treib- und Explosiv- stoffe with its head offices in Pfinztal/Berghausen near Karlsruhe, Germany. This institute was initially founded by Dr. Karl Meyer, Dr. Rudolf Meyer’s elder brother in 1957, as part of the Technische Hochschule, Karlsruhe, and was extended later on. We regret to say that while this sixth edition was under preparation, the Assistant Technical Director of ICT, Dr. Fred Volk, (1930–2005) passed away. Immediately after obtaining his doctorate in chemistry in 1960, Dr. Fred Volk joined the ICT, which had then just been built in Pfinztal, where he worked closely with Dr. Karl Meyer. The main focus of his research within the area of explosive analysis was on the use of thin- layer chromatography and mass spectrometry as well as on calculating thermodynamic energies used in explosive and combustion proc- esses. The many key words and the related articles in “Explosives” dealing with theoretical and thermodynamic performances were pains- takingly checked, or written by Dr. F. Volk himself, each time before a new edition was printed. As an addition to the previous edition of “Explosives”, this book in- cludes even more information on new explosive formulations. Dr. Alfred Kappl has provided information and text materials on Fuel Air and Thermobaric explosives, and Dr. Robert Bickes (Sandia Na- tional Labs, USA) has contributed an article about Semiconductor Bridge Igniters (SCB). The special department II.3 (Dr. Thomas Leh- mann, Dr. Silke Schwarz and Dr. Dietrich Eckhardt) of the Deutsche Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (German Federal Institute for Material Testing and Research, BAM) has also contributed important notes and references on the subjects of hazardous substances and testing procedures. Prof. Dr. Charles L. Mader has provided relevant information on the subject area of detonation physics. The Fraunhofer ICT has once again provided valuable help towards the publication of this volume, Preface VI and Prof. Dr. P. Elsner, Dr. S. Kelzenberg, Dr. Th. Keicher, Dr. N. Eisenreich, Dr. K. Menke, Dr. H. Krause, Dr. M. Hermann, and Dr. P.B. Kempa deserve particular mention for their generous contributions. The authors would particularly like to thank their colleagues mentioned above for their contributions and for providing valuable comments. Due to reductions and restructuring in the explosives industry, which has sometimes resulted in a complete loss of former product and company names used over decades, a range of names used in the past has not been included in this edition. As an addition a CD containing a demo version of the ICT-Database of Thermochemical Values and information about the ICT-Thermody- namic-Code ist attached to the book. The full version of the database contains detailed information of more than 14,000 substances, including structure formulae, oxygen balance, densities and enthalpies of formation. The Code may be used for calculating properties of formulations like the heat of explosion or specific impulse of explosives, propellants or pyrotechnics. Both programs, updated regularly, are available by the Fraunhofer ICT. Among these may be mentioned Dr. B. Eulering (WASAG Chemie, Essen), Dipl.-Ing. W. Franke (BAM, Berlin), Dipl.-Ing. H. Grosse† (WASAG Chemie), Dr. E. Häusler† (BICT), Dr. R. Hagel (Ruag Ammo- tec, Fürth), Dr. H. Hornberg† (ICT), Dr. H. Krebs (BAM, Berlin), Dr. G. Kistner (ICT), Prof. Dr H. Köhler† (Austron), Dr. A. Kratsch (Rheinme- tall Industrie GmbH), Dip.-Ing. H. Krätschmer, Dr. K. Meyer† (ICT), Prof. Dr.-Ing. K. Nixdorff (BW University, Hamburg), Dr. K. Redecker, Dr. H.J. Rodner (BAM, Berlin), Dr. J.F. Roth† (DNAG, Troisdorf), Prof. Dr. H. Schubert (ICT), Prof. Dr. M. Steidinger (BAM, Berlin), Dipl.-Ing. G. Stockmann (WNC-Nitrochemie), Dr. G. Traxler (ORS Wien), Mr. R. Varosh (RISI, USA), Mr. J. Wraige (Solar Pyrotechnics, GB), Mrs. Christine Westermaier and Dr. R. Zimmermann (BVS, Dortmund). We hope that the large number of people who remain unmentioned will also feel that they share in this expression of thanks. The authors also wish to thank the publishers, the WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH Company, and in particular Mrs. K. Sora, Mrs. R. Dötzer and Mrs. D. Kleemann, for the most pleasant co-operation in the produc- tion and printing of this book. The publishers and authors continue to welcome suggestions and communications of any kind. We hope that our book will remain an important reference work and a quick source of information in this edition as well. Schardenberg,April2007 JosefKöhler AxelHomburg From the preface of previous editions: “Explosives” is a concise handbook covering the entire field of explosives. It was preceded by the booklet “Explosivstoffe” published in 1932 by WASAG, Berlin, and by the handbook of industrial and military explosives published by WASAG-CHEMIE in 1961 under the same name. The book contains about 500 entries arranged in alphabetical order. These include formulas and descriptions of about 120 explosive chem- icals, about 60 additives, fuels, and oxidizing agents, and a 1500-entry subject index. The objective of the book is to provide fundamental information on the subject of explosives not only to experts but also to the general public. The book will therefore, apart from industrial companies and research facilities concerned, be found useful in documentary centers, translation bureaus, editorial offices, patent and lawyer offices, and other institutions of this nature. The properties, manufacturing methods, and applications of each substance are briefly described. In the case of key explosives and raw materials, the standard purity specifications are also listed. The asymmetric margins are provided for entries and marginal notes of the reader. Instructions for the thermodynamic calculations of the performance parameters of high explosives, gun propellants, and rocket propellants are given in somewhat greater detail. The basic thermodynamic data will be found in the extensive synoptic tables. They are based on the metric system; conversion from the English or the U.S. system can be made using the conversion tables on the back flyleaf. The front flyleaf contains a glossary of the terms denoting the characteristics of explosive materials in six languages. The standard temperature selected for the energy of formation and enthalpy of formation data is 25°C = 298.15K. The elementary form of carbon was taken to be graphite (and not diamond, as before). The numerical values of the energies of formation (which, as known, appear both in the relevant entry and in the tables) are the optimum molar values found in the enthalpy tables of Volk, Bathelt and Kuthe: “Thermochemische Daten von Raketentreibstoffen, Treibladungspul- vern sowie deren Komponenten”, published by the Institut für Chemi- sche Technologie (ICT), D-76327 Pfinztal-Berghausen 1972. The US experts in rocket-techniques* and the Institute of Makers of Explosives** published glossaries on the definition and explanations of technical terms. Parts of them have been incorporated in the text. *Published as appendix 4 of the Aerospace Ordnance Handbook by Pollard, F.B.and Arnold, J.H. Prentice Hall Inc., 1966 **Published as Publication No.12 by the Institute of Makers of Explosives. From the preface of previous editions VIII The book is not intended as a systematic presentation of the science of explosives. Interested readers are referred to the many excellent publications on the subject, which are available in English (see, for example, the books by M.A. Cook) and the now nearly complete encyclopedia covering the whole explosive field, edited by Seymour M.Kaye (formerly by Basil T.Fedoroff†: “Encyclopedia of Explosives and Related Items”). Users of explosives should consult the “Blaster’s Handbook” of DU PONT Inc., which is by far the best book on the subject. A comprehensive list of literature references will be found at the end of the book.