Developing Situational Awareness with the respect to IEDS...

I would dispute the information in Item 10, above. Dynamite is more, a Generic Term, these days, than an actual specific Energetic Material. There is almost NO Nitroglycerine Based Dynamite being produced in the world these days. 90% of modern Energetics are Ammonium Nitrate based, or are Military based Energetics, and most Terrorists will be using HiJacked or captured Military Energetics as their Primary Powder. All these are Cap Sensitive, already and need no special Boosters. Any Nicad, NMH, or Lithium Battery of more that 6 Vdc will detonate a Standard #8 Cap.
There is so much exMilitary Energetics floating around in the regions where most terrorists are roaming, that they really do not need to brew up their own, in some makeshift Lab. The "Shoe Bomber" and "Underware Bomber" not withstanding, it just makes little sense, to brew up a Primary Energetic from scratch, when there is so much stuff unaccounted for, in the area, that can be had, just for the looking.

 

I hate to break the NEWS to you @Tikka, but Nitro Based Dynamite, is rarely used at ALL, in todays Mining, or Demolition Industry.... Most Initiation Charges, consist of either Cap Sensitive Gell Sausages like "Tovex" or Cast Boosters made of PETN/Amatol in 1/3 and 1/2 Pound Cardboard Casings, with Cap and Detcord Pockets, built into their Castings.... Either of these can be Detonated by using Standard #10 Caps crimped on regular PETN Detcord/ShockTubes, or by individual Electric #10 Caps of various Millisecond Delay Timings, that are set up to detonate, in a designed sequence, that moves the Shockwave along thru the complete Loading....
There are a very few uses of NitroBased Energetics, in modern Blasting Techniques... One is Ditching, where no Detcord is used between Charges.... You take RedCross 40 (40% Nitro based Energetic) and lay it along the proposed ditch line, with the charges about 3 feet apart, and only Cap, the Last Charge, in the String... The Shockwave, carries along the string, from One Charge, to the next, and you end up with a Ditch, the length of the String. The distance between charges is determined by the Depth of the ditch needed, and the consistence of the Ground you are trying to Ditch. Nitro Based Energetics are just way to sensitive, to be used in Modern Mining and Demolition, when compared to Modern Energetic Blasting System Technologies...

 

@Tikka

http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/npsg/explosives/Chapter9.pdf
Slide 15 is Mislabeled... That is a Gell Cartridge... NitroBased Energetics do NOT come in plastic Casings with Metal Crimp Clips, on the Ends.... If is was Dynamite it would be RED.... Like Slide 16
Yes, This is a very good Presentation of the MATH, that goes into designing a Loading of Energetics... But if you look at the Date, it was Published in 2003, and even back then, it was out of Date ENERGETIC Technology for 95% of the Products, used in the field. I doubt that the Author was ever and Licensed Blaster, or even a NitroOrganic Chemist. Just an Academic Engineering Instructor, with a Good handle on the Math....

Again look at the Publication Dates (1972) This was published back after I was first Licensed, and even then it is Technology that was at that time, on it's way out, in modern usage.
http://www.osmre.gov/resources/blasting/docs/USBM/IC8550BlastPatternsUsingEmpericalFormula.pdf
I read you passages as quoted above, and they refer to Gell Dynamite... At that time, Gell Dynamite was a Generic TERM, used for Common Gell based Energetics, which were Ammonium Nitrate, with Aluminum Powder, and NitroMethane, mixed in, to sensitize the Ammonium Nitrate, to be Cap Sensitive, and achieve the correct Oxygen balance, for complete Detonation. The Classic Brand name for these Gels is "Tovex" a Brand made by Dupont. It contains NO Nitroglycerine, and is NOT Water Soluble, and completely Water Resistant, which is why it was used a Base Charge Initiator, in "Wet Holes" back before the Cast PETN/Amatol Boosters, came into common usage, in the '70s and '80s....

 

There is NO Debate... Your presented "Facts" are Out of Date.... and were Out of Date in 2003, your latest Quoted, Published Information....