R. Meyer J. Köhler A. Homburg Explosives

275 Sand Test
The black powder contains 65–74% potassium nitrate, and its grain
size is 0.25–0.75 mm. A 1-meter length of fuse contains about 4–5 g
of powder.
A special type of safety fuse is employed in Switzerland. The core is a
pyrotechnical composition in meal form, which is sheathed in paper
strips and has a large number of textile threads around it.
SAFEX INTERNATIONAL
SAFEX INTERNATIONAL, a non-profit making organisation for producers
of explosives and pyrotechnics, was founded in 1954. The aim
of SAFEX is to encourage the exchange of experience in the explosive
industry. The information gained from accidents and incidents leads to
a better understanding and can help members avoid similar events.
SAFEX INTERNATIONAL has more than 80 members in 40 countries
from allover the world (2001). The organisation is strictly non-political;
all information is for SAFEX members only. Every member is obliged
to notify the secretary of any accident or incident within the plant. The
secretary then sends out this information to all members; any further
clarification can be requested from the secretary, who will in turn
contact the member concerned.
Every third year a Congress is organised for the presentation of
papers on common themes by the members. Admission is for SAFEX
members only.
Sand Test
A performance test of an explosive, used in the USA. A known amount
of the explosive is exploded in sand consisting of a single grain size
(sieve) fraction; the magnitude determined is the amount of sand
which passes a finer-meshed sieve following the fragmentation. The
test descriptions follow:
(a) Sand test for solids.
A 0.4-g sample of explosive, pressed at 3000 psi into a No. 6 cap, is
initiated by lead azide or mercury fulminate (or, if necessary, by lead
azide and tetryl) in a sand test bomb containing 200 g of “on 30 mesh”
Ottawa sand. The amount of azide of Tetryl that must be used to
ensure that the sample crushes the maximum net weight of sand, is
designated as its sensitivity to initiation, and the net weight of sand
crushed, finer than 30 mesh, is termed the sand test value. The net
weight of sand crushed is obtained by subtracting from the total
amount crushed by the initiator when shot alone.