EXPLOSIVES:

Effects of an
Explosion
Classification of
Explosives
Low Explosives
High Explosives
Primary
Secondary
Conclusion

When an explosive is
detonated, the
material is instantly
converted from a
solid into a mass of
rapidly expanding
gases.
Causes 3 primary
effects:
Blast pressure
Fragmentation
Thermal effects
Taken in part from a seminar by Jim Kahoe and Greg Brown

Effects of an Explosion: Blast Pressure

At the time of detonation, the gases can

rush out at velocities of up to 7,000 mph
and can exert pressure of up to 700 tons
per square inch.
This gas travels in a outward circular
pattern like a giant wave, smashing and
shattering everything in its path.

Order of Priorities
Priority

Composition of Products of Decomposition

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

A metal and chlorine Metallic chloride(solid)

Hydrogen and chlorine HCl (gaseous)
A metal and oxygen Metallic oxide (solid)
Carbon and oxygen CO (gaseous)
Hydrogen and oxygen H2O (gaseous)
CO and oxygen CO2 (gaseous)
Nitrogen N2 (elemental)
Excess oxygen O2 (elemental)
Excess hydrogen H2 (elemental)
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Order of Priorities
Priority

Composition of Products of Decomposition

A
B
C
D
E
F

Carbon and oxygen CO (gaseous)

Hydrogen and oxygen H2O (gaseous)
CO and oxygen CO2 (gaseous)
Nitrogen N2 (elemental)
Excess oxygen O2 (elemental)
Excess hydrogen H2 (elemental)

Balancing Chemical Explosion Equations

* The progression is from top to bottom; you may skip steps that are not applicable, but you never back up.
* At each separate step there are never more than two compositions and two products.
* At the conclusion of the balancing, elemental forms, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen, are always found in
diatomic form.
Example, TNT: C6H2(NO2)3CH3; constituents: 7C + 5H + 3N + 6O

Using the order of priorities priority 4 gives the first reaction products:
7C + 6O -> 6CO with one mol of carbon remaining
Next, since all the oxygen has been combined with the carbon to form CO, priority 7 results in:
3N -> 1.5N2
Finally, priority 9 results in: 5H > 2.5H2
The balanced equation, showing the products of reaction resulting from the detonation of TNT is:
C6H2(NO2)3CH3 -> 6CO + 2.5H2 + 1.5N2 + C
The number of moles of gas formed is 10. The product, carbon, is a solid.

Volume of Products of Explosion

The molecular volume of any gas at 0 C and under normal atmospheric pressure is very nearly 22.4
liters or 22.4 cubic decimeters. Thus, considering the nitroglycerin reaction.
C3H5(NO3)3 -> 3CO2 + 2.5H2O + 1.5N2 + .25O2
One mole of nitroglycerin produces 3 + 2.5 + 1.5 + .25 = 7.25 molecular volumes of gas; and these
molecular volumes at 0 C and atmospheric pressure form an actual volume of 7.25 X 22.4 = 162.4
liters of gas. (Note that the products H2O and CO2 are in their gaseous form.)
Further, by employing Charles' Law for perfect gases, the volume of the products of explosion may also
be calculated for any given temperature. This law states that at a constant pressure a perfect gas
expands 1/273 of its volume at 0 C, for each degree of rise in temperature.
Therefore, at 15 C the molecular volume of any gas is,
V15 = 22.4 (1 + 15/273) = 23.63 liters per mol
Thus, at 15 C the volume of gas produced by the explosive decomposition of one gram molecule of
nitroglycerin becomes
V = 23.63 l (7.25 mol) = 171.3 liters/mo

The potential of an explosive is the total work that can be performed by the gas
resulting from its explosion, when expanded adiabatically from its original volume, until
its pressure is reduced to atmospheric pressure and its temperature to 15 C. The
potential is therefore the total quantity of heat given off at constant volume when
expressed in equivalent work units and is a measure of the strength of the explosive.
An explosion may occur under two general conditions: the first, unconfined, as in the
open air where the pressure (atmospheric) is constant; the second, confined, as in a
closed chamber where the volume is constant. The same amount of heat energy is
liberated in each case, but in the unconfined explosion, a certain amount is used as
work energy in pushing back the surrounding air, and therefore is lost as heat. In a
confined explosion, where the explosive volume is small (such as occurs in the
powder chamber of a firearm), practically all the heat of explosion is conserved as
useful energy. If the quantity of heat liberated at constant volume under adiabatic
conditions is calculated and converted from heat units to equivalent work units, the
potential or capacity for work results.

Qmp represents the total quantity of heat given off by a gram molecule of explosive of 15 C and constant pressure (atmospheric);
Qmv represents the total heat given off by a gram molecule of explosive at 15 C and constant volume; and
W represents the work energy expended in pushing back the surrounding air in an unconfined explosion and thus is not available
as net theoretical heat;
Then, because of the conversion of energy to work in the constant pressure case,

Qmv = Qmp + W
Qmp = ( viQfi - vkQfk )
where:
Qfi = heat of formation of product i at constant pressure
Qfk = heat of formation of reactant k at constant pressure
v = number of mols of each product/reactants (m is the number of products and n the number of reactants)
The work energy expended by the gaseous products of detonation is expressed by:
W = Pdv

W = (10.132 x 104 N)(23.63 l)(Nmol)(10-3m3)

W = (0.572)(Nmol) kcal mol

10

For TNT:
C6H2(NO2)3CH3 ->
with Nmol =

11

For TNT:
C6H2(NO2)3CH3 -> 6CO + 2.5H2 + 1.5N2 + C
with Nmol = 10 mol
Then:
Qmp = 6(26.43) -16.5 = 142.08 kca /l mol
Note: Elements in their natural state (H2, O2, N2, C, et,.) are used as the basis
for heat of formation tables and are assigned a value of zero.

Qmv = 142.08 + 0.572(10) = 147.8 kcal / mol

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MW for TNT = 227.1 g / mol

Explosive Potential is defined as heat per kg of explosive
Qkv = 147.8 (kcal/mol) x 1000 (g/kg) / 227.1 (g/mol)= 651 kcal/kg
Rather than tabulate such large numbers, in the field of explosives, TNT is
taken as the standard explosive, and others are assigned strengths relative to
that of TNT. The potential of TNT has been calculated above to be 651 kcal/kg
(2.72 x 106 J/kg since 1kcal=4185 J ). Relative strength (RS) may be
expressed as
R.S. = Potential of Explosive/ 2.72 x 106

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Example
The PETN reaction will be examined as an example of thermo-chemical calculations.
PETN: C(CH2ONO2)4
MW = 316.15 Heat of Formation = 119.4 kcal/mol

(1) Balance the chemical reaction equation. Using priorities in order decide reaction products:
5C + 12O -> 5CO + 7O
Next, the hydrogen combines with remaining oxygen:
8H + 7O -> 4H2O + 3O
Then the remaining oxygen will combine with the CO to form CO and CO2.
5CO + 3O -> 2CO + 3CO2
Finally the remaining nitrogen forms in its natural state (N2).
4N -> 2N2
The balanced reaction equation is:
C(CH2ONO2)4 -> 2CO + 4H2O + 3CO2 + 2N2

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(2) Determine the number of molecular volumes of gas per gram molecule. Since the molecular volume of one gas is equal
to the molecular volume of any other gas, and since all the products of the PETN reaction are gaseous, the re-sulting
number of molecular volumes of gas (Nmol) is:
Nmol = 2 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 11 mol-volume/mol
(3) Determine the potential (capacity for doing work). If the total heat liberated by an explosive under constant volume
conditions (Qm) is converted to the equivalent work units, the result is the potential of that explosive.

The heat liberated at constant volume (Qmv) is equivalent to the liberated at constant pressure (Qmp) plus that heat
converted to work in expanding the surrounding medium. Hence, Qmv = Qmp + Work (converted).
a. Qmp = Qfi (products) - Qfk (reactants)
where: Qf = Heat of Formation
For the PETN reaction:
Qmp = 2(26.43) + 4(57.81) + 3(94.39) - (119.4) = 447.87 kcal/mol
(If the compound produced a metallic oxide, that heat of formation would be included in Qmp.

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b. Work = 0.572(Nm) = 0.572(11) = 6.292 kcal/mol

As previously stated, Qmv converted to equivalent work units is taken as the potential of
the explosive.
c. Qmv = 447.87 + 0.572(11) = 454.16 kcal / mol
Explosive Potential is defined as heat per kg of explosive
Qkv =454.16 (kcal/mol) x 1000 (g/kg) / 316.1 (g/mol)= 1,436.8 kcal/kg
= 1,436.8 x 4185 = 6.01 x 106 J / kg
This product may then be used to find the relative strength of PETN, which is
e. RS = Pot (PETN = 6.01 x 106 / (2.72 x 106 ) = 2.21 Pot (TNT)

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