R. Meyer J. Köhler A. Homburg Explosives

Oxygen Balance
rials containing bound oxygen. The most important solid-state oxidizers
are nitrates, especially W Ammonium Nitrate and W Sodium
Nitrate for explosives; W Potassium Nitrate for W Black Powder and ion
exchanged W Permitted Explosives; potassium chlorate for W Chlorate
Explosives and for pyrotechnical compositions; W Ammonium Perchlorate
(APC) for W Composite Propellants.
Important liquid oxidizers for liquid fuel rocket motors include liquid
oxygen (LOX), highly concentrated nitric acid, liquid N2O4, liquid fluorine,
and halogen fluorides. See also W Oxygen Balance.
Oxygen Balance
Sauerstoffwert; bilan d’oxygène
The amount of oxygen, expressed in weight percent, liberated as a
result of complete conversion of the explosive material to CO2, H2O,
SO2, Al2O3, etc. (“positive” oxygen balance). If the amount of oxygen
bound in the explosive is insuffient for the complete oxidation reaction
(“negative” oxygen balance), the deficient amount of the oxygen
needed to complete the reaction is reported with a negative sign. This
negative oxygen balance can be calculated in exactly the same manner
for non-explosive fuels.
Examples:
TNT (C7H5N3O6) –74%
nitroglycerine (C3H5N3O9) + 3.5%
ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) +20%
Table 23. Oxygen balance of explosives and explosive components.
Material Available
O2, %
Material Available
O2, %
aluminum – 89.0 ammonium chloride – 44.9
ammonium nitrate + 20.0 ammonium
perchlorate
+ 34.0
ammonium picrate – 52.0 barium nitrate + 30.6
dinitrobenzene – 95.3 dinitrotoluene –114.4
wood meal, purified –137.0 potassium chlorate + 39.2
potassium nitrate + 39.6 carbon –266.7
sodium chlorate + 45.0 sodium nitrate + 47.0
nitroglycerine + 3.5 nitroguanidine – 30.8
nitrocellulose nitrocellulose
(guncotton) – 28.6 (soluble guncotton) – 38.7
picric acid – 45.4 sulfur –100.0
Tetryl – 47.4 trinitroresorcinol – 35.9
TNT – 74.0
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