Explosive velocity

Under the detonation velocity of an explosive is defined as the speed of the reaction front at which the chemical reaction moves within the explosive, how quickly and suddenly he and decompose or react. As a product of detonation velocity, charge density and specific energy results in the explosiveness of an explosive. A large detonation velocity ensures that the pressure build suddenly happened and stored in the chemical bonds of energy is released in the shortest possible time.

While black powder with the formation of large amounts of gas burns relatively slowly ( at subsonic speeds is spoken generally of a deflagration ), explosive explosives at ten times the speed and more are being implemented. This process is referred to as detonation. The reaction front forms a shock wave (see also detonation wave ).

Must be at slow explosives such as black powder by damming only one pressure can be built, which then abruptly releasing with burst of damming its energy, which can also be heard as a pop, this is in explosives high detonation velocity ( higher than the speed of sound) in principle no longer necessary. Druckunempfindlichere explosive explosives (eg TNT ) will still be loaded into solid servings. Without this cover up to several millimeters thick outer layer would be blown off by the charge without detonating, which would lessen the effect ( according to Pokrovsky, "Explosion and blast ").

A short table outlines the typical ( maximum ) detonation velocities of some common explosives (the values ​​may be different depending on the source ):

Note: The velocity of detonation of black powder depends considerably on its consistency, the grinding, the granularity of the coal used, density and residual moisture.