Explosive and propellants

Question 1

What components make up guncotton?

Answer 1

NC, Nitric Acid and Cotton Fibres

Question 2

What was added to picric acid explosives to increase the effectiveness?

Answer 2

Tetryl as a booster for amplification

Question 3

What are the ingredients for greek fire?

Answer 3

Sulphur, pitch, naphtha

Question 4

What are the pyrotechnic groups?

Answer 4

Illum Compositions
Smoke Compositions
Signal Compositions
Delay Compositions
Tracer Compositions
Priming Compositions
Simulators  
Pyromechanics

Question 5

What are the effects of pyrotechnics?

Answer 5

Heat
Light
Smoke
Noise

Question 6

What is added to make pyrotechnic colours?

Answer 6

Red- Strontium nitrate
Yellow- Sodium nitrate
Green- Barium nitrate
Orange- Calcium nitrate
Blue- Copper carbonate
White- Barium and potassium mixture

Question 7

What are the characteristic of primer compositions?

Answer 7

• Easy to ignite
• Generate high heat
• Not burn to quickly or violently
• Produce some solid products of combustion
• Be compatible with the mixtures used

Question 8

Describe Primary Explosive?

Answer 8

A substance or mixture of substances used to initiate a detonation or a burning reaction

Question 9

What are the types of explosive initiators?

Answer 9

Distruptive- Detonators

Igniferous- Igniters

Question 10

What colour produces red smoke?

Answer 10

Strontium nitrate

Question 11

What does ballisite consist of?

Answer 11

Nitroclycerine, nitrocellulose, camphor (wax)

Question 12

What are the 4 types of propellant?

Answer 12

Single Based propellant- NC
Double based propellant- NC and NG
Triple Base propellant- NC, NG and Nitro Guanadine (Picrite) - NGu or NQ
Composite based propellant

Question 13

Flash receptive detonators are 1 type of explosive, what are 4 others?

Answer 13

• Flash receptive detonators
• Stab igniters and detonators
• Percussion igniters
• Hot bridge wire igniters and detonators
• Exploding bridge wire detonators

Question 14

Give an example of some low explosives?

Answer 14

• Gunpowder
• Pyrotechnics
• Propellant

Question 15

Give an example of some high explosive?

Answer 15

Tetryl, Comp B, RDX, CE, PE4, C4, PETN, TR1, HMX, TNT

Question 16

What is the compositon of “COMP B”?

Answer 16

RDX- 59.5%
TNT- 39.5%
WAX- 1%

Question 17

What purposes do additives have in high explosives?

Answer 17

1- Decrease Sensitivity
2- Increase Sensitivity
3- Increase Moldability
4- Increase Stability
5- Increase Blast Effect

Question 18

Caps and primers contain 3 primary components what are they?

Answer 18

1- The primary explosive
2- The oxidiser
3- The sensitiser

Question 19

What is the purpose of a dark ignition tracer?

Answer 19

• To avoid observation of exact location of weapon

- To avoid dazzling the gun layers at night when fired from multiple/automatic weapons.

Question 20

What are the design requirements for illumination?

Answer 20

• Withstand firing forces
• Must have the correct luminosity
• Must burn for the correct time

Question 21

What are the ideal properties for smoke?

Answer 21

• Immediate in effect
• Unaffected as far as possible by weather
• Persistent
• Non anti personal
• Non incendiary

Question 22

What is the main use for armies using smoke?

Answer 22

Tactical Screening Smoke
-Tactical smoke, defensive smoke
Signalling

Question 23

What other metals are added to High Explosives to increase heat?

Answer 23

Magnesium and aluminum and Zirconium

Question 24

What is the definition of delay? What is it used for?

Answer 24

To provide a pyrotechnic delay between the igniting or explosive events.

Question 25

Define propellant?

Answer 25

Propellants are an explosive which by controlled burning provides gas pressure required to give motion to a projectile or missile.

Question 26

What explosive was found when they were creating RDX?

Answer 26

HMX

Question 27

What are the advantages of single based propellant?

Answer 27

- Cooler burning, therefore less erosive - Generate considerably less flash than cordite - Ballistics less effected by change in change of temperature

Question 28

Advantages of double based propellant?

Answer 28

- Easy to ignite - Higher energy rating than sinlge based - Higher flame temp - Higher burning rate

Question 29

What additives are in propellant? SPCFADSS

Answer 29

SPCFADSS - Stabilizers - Plasticisers - Coolant - Surface moderants - Surface lubricants - Flash inhibitor - Decoppering agents - Antiwear additives

Question 30

What are the main chemicals used as a De-coppering agent?

Answer 30

Tin and Lead

Question 31

How is the rate of burning controlled?

Answer 31

Size, Shape, Composition

Question 32

What are the different types of burning?

Answer 32

Progressive- Total surface area increases during burning- Rosette, Multi tubular Degressive- Total surface area decreases as the propellant burns- Cord, flake, strip/ribbon Neutral (constant)- External surface decreases at the same rate that internal surface increases during burning- Tubular, cogged, star centre

Question 33

Name the propellant shapes that have a constant burn?

Answer 33

Tubular, Cogged, Star Centre, Slotted Tubular

Question 34

What is a carbamite?

Answer 34

- Plastiser- Increase shelf life - Stabiliser- Moldability - Coolant- Reduce burning temp - Surface moderant- Act similar to coolants but on the outer layer

Question 35

Explain burning to detonation

Answer 35

Occurs when there is an abrupt acceleration of flame which becomes a shock wave, that ignites and becomes overpressured to ignite an item.

Question 36

What are the two types of high explosives and examples?

Answer 36

Primary - sensitive to heat shock or friction. Lead azide, Mercuary fulminate, lead styphlinate Secondary - less sensitive to stimuli such as heat, shock and friction. RDX, TNT,

Question 37

What does wax do?

Answer 37

Binding agent/De-sensitiser

Question 38

Incendiary compositions fall into 2 categories, what are they?

Answer 38

- Metals and alloys | - Combustible fluids

Question 39

What does composite explosive mean?

Answer 39

CE- Tetryl- Booster

Question 40

What are the Explosive names for the following? Cyclotrimethylenetrinitromine- TRIN Cylotetramethylenetetranitramine- TRAN

Answer 40

TRIN- RDX | TRAN- HMX

Question 41

What was the historical composition of gunpowder?

Answer 41

Saltpeter- 7 parts Sulphur- 5 parts Charcoal- 5 Parts

Question 42

What century was saltpeter refined?

Answer 42

14th Century

Question 43

Define HE?

Answer 43

Any explosive which once initiated decomposes almost instantaneously into its original molecular structure by the passage of a detonation wave through it, subsequently production of heat and gases and liberation of great energy.

Question 44

What is the purpose of delay Compositions?

Answer 44

To provide a pyrotechnic delay between two igniting or explosive events. Pyrotechnic delays are trains of composition, which burn in cigarette fashion from one end to the other.

Question 45

2 Categories of propellants? and sub categories

Answer 45

Liquid Propellant- Mono propellant, bi-propellant | Solid Propellant- Colloidal, Composite

Question 46

What are the velocities of detonation for the following? ``` TNT CE PENT RDX ANFO COMP B ```

Answer 46

``` TNT- 6950 m/s CE- 7500 m/s PENT- 8300 m/s RDX- 8450 m/s ANFO- 1100-2700 m/s COMP B- 7800 m/s ```

Question 47

Factors effecting V of D?

Answer 47

- Density of the charge - Charge diameter - Degree of confinement - Strength of detonator

Question 48

What is the purpose of additives used in HE?

Answer 48

``` Increase sensitivity Increase blast effect Improve stability Improve mouldability Decrease sensitivity ```

Question 49

Definition of a pyrotechnic?

Answer 49

A material capable of combustion when correctly initiated to produce a special effect.

Question 50

Define Detonation

Answer 50

An extremely rapid chemical change with the evolution of heat and gas, accompanied by a violent disruptive effect and intense blast.

Question 51

Two types of explosives?

Answer 51

High explosives- TNT, RDX, COMP B | Low Explosives- Propellant, tetryl, ignitors

Question 52

Define low explosive?

Answer 52

An explosive substance, which decomposes rapidly through combustion with the evolution of heat and flash and generates large quantity of gaseous products.

Question 53

Define deflagration?

Answer 53

Describes subsonic combustion that usually propagates through thermal conductivity.

Question 54

Define igniter compositions?

Answer 54

A composition that produces hot flames, usually accompanied by sparks and hot gases, for relatively short times.