I failed a Health and Safety course at work today. One of the questions was: "In the event of a fire, what steps would you take?" "Feckin' big ones" was apparently the wrong answer.
Have you ever noticed that fire extinguishers have a sign over them with Braille on it? If blind person can not find a big fire extinguishers hanging on the wall how is a little sign going to help?
I taught a TCP/IP class at Thiakol once (I think that's how you spell it). They made the solid rocket boosters for the shuttle. They claim to have never had an explosion on site but admit to several "fast burns" and "conflagrations" which are apparently indistinguishable from an explosion to the naked eye.
The difference is the velocity of the Burn Rate..... and to the uninitiated, it looks the same or very similar..... ..... YMMV....
It really wants to expand so the trick is don't contain it.. Contain it and that fast burn becomes a loud boom. Before MREs came with a means of heating; we used C4 to cook with as it wasn't contained it burnt happily.
Which is why you NEVER EVER EVER stomp on burning C4 to put it out. That's just a little tip from your Uncle DarkLight, trying to make your life a little easier (and maybe that much longer). :grin:
I do not know who taught you about Energetic Materials Science, but The FACT is that you can NOT cause Burning C4 to Detonate by stomping on it, or even hitting it with the BIGGEST Hammer you could possibly Lift. Any thinking that one could is, just TOTAL BS, and NOT supported by the FACTS. This is why C4 is a common Military Field Energetic. It is impervious to physical Low Velocity (Less than SuperSonic) Shocks, even when burning. Standard Velocity Blasting Caps are even iffy to secure 100% Detonation. What is required is a Boosted Cap, with not only a Primary Initiation Charge like Lead Azide, or Lead Styphanate, that triggers a Secondary Booster Charge of PETN. . YMMV.....
Ok...never seen it done, just passing on what the Scoutmaster who lit it on fire told us when I was 15. He was the one in the Army, not me. He was the one with the "first hand story". Mine is a mimeograph.
For being an explosive, all PBXs (plastic bonded explosive) are reasonably safe, relatively easy to mold, good bounce for it's weight etc. M112 or a stick of C4 is a plastic binder mixed with RDX. It is a good all purpose blow stuff up explosive. The explosive charge in a claymore is C4 which shows C4 can be directional or what explosives consider directional. Detcord works right well with PBX. Although it is easy to blow up a tree getting it to land where you want is quite a different subject. Explosives are too often over simplified.
You'll get a hotfoot stomping on anything that has it's own oxidizer, but your shoe might stay on ---
Humor - Jokes - Games and Diversions FOLKS !!!!! Not where this funny was hijacked !!! Have a funny safe day .. All & play well together
Astrolite was discovered quite by "Accident" literally by an Industrial Accident that Destroyed the Lab, and left a "Smoking Hole in the Ground" where the Lab used to be, in the South Seattle Industrial area. Astrolite is AmmoniaNitrate and Hydrazine mixed, similar to ANFO, but Hydrazine is ONE NASTY Chemical. Extremely Corrosive, Volatile, and Poisonous in the Vapor Phase. Not to be messed with by the uninitiated. Once it was discovered, Rocket Research spun off the Research Phase in a New Company called ExploCo. (Explosive Corporation of America in Issaquah, Washington) ExploCo then characterized and Marketed the then New Energetic, as the Most Powerful Energetic Know. It held that distinction until Dr. Rogers theorized and then synthesized Octo-Nitro Cubane. History of Super High Energetics 101... ..... YMMV....
I taught a TCP/IP class at Thiakol once (I think that's how you spell it). They made the solid rocket boosters for the shuttle. They claim to have never had an explosion on site but admit to several "fast burns" and "conflagrations" which are apparently indistinguishable from an explosion to the naked eye.[/quote] Detonation vs. deflagration.... big difference better remember that... there may be a test...
