R. Meyer J. Köhler A. Homburg Explosives

131 Explosives
W Class A Explosives – Detonating, or otherwise maximum hazard.
W Class S Explosives – Flammable hazard.
W Class C Explosives – Minimum hazard.
Oxidizing Material – A substance that yields oxygen readily to
stimulate the combustion of organic matter
(W Oxidizer)
A list of energetic materials is also available from the German BAM.
Explosive Train
A train of combustible and explosive elements arranged in order of
decreasing sensitivity. The explosive train accomplishes the controlled
augmentation of a small impulse into one of suitable energy to actuate
a main charge. A fuze explosive train may consist of a primer, a
detonator, a delay, a relay, a lead and booster charge, one or more of
which may be either omitted or combined. If the bursting charge is
added to the foregoing train it becomes a bursting charge explosive
train. A propelling charge explosive train might consist of a primer,
igniter or igniting charge, usually black powder, and finally, any of the
various types of propellants (W Igniter Train).
Explosives
Explosivstoffe; explosifs
1. Definition
Explosives are solid or liquid*) substances, alone or mixed with one
another, which are in a metastable state and are capable, for this
reason, of undergoing a rapid chemical reaction without the participation
of external reactants such as atmospheric oxygen. The reaction
can be initiated by mechanical means (impact, W Impact Sensitivity;
friction, W Friction Sensitivity), by the action of heat (sparks, open
flame, red-hot or white-hot objects), or by detonating shock (W Blasting
Cap with or without a W Booster charge). The resistance of the
metastable state to heat is known as W Stability. The ease with which
the chemical reaction can be initiated is known as W Sensitivity.
The reaction products are predominantly gaseous (W Fumes). The
propagation rate from the initiation site outwards through the explosive
* Of course, gases and gaseous mixtures can also be explosive. Explosive
mixtures are often generated spontaneously (leaks in gas pipes, solvent tanks;
firedamp in coal mining).