R. Meyer J. Köhler A. Homburg Explosives

From the preface of previous editions:
“Explosives” is a concise handbook covering the entire field of explosives.
It was preceded by the booklet “Explosivstoffe” published in
1932 by WASAG, Berlin, and by the handbook of industrial and
military explosives published by WASAG-CHEMIE in 1961 under the
same name.
The book contains about 500 entries arranged in alphabetical order.
These include formulas and descriptions of about 120 explosive chemicals,
about 60 additives, fuels, and oxidizing agents, and a 1500-entry
subject index.
The objective of the book is to provide fundamental information on the
subject of explosives not only to experts but also to the general public.
The book will therefore, apart from industrial companies and research
facilities concerned, be found useful in documentary centers, translation
bureaus, editorial offices, patent and lawyer offices, and other
institutions of this nature.
The properties, manufacturing methods, and applications of each
substance are briefly described. In the case of key explosives and raw
materials, the standard purity specifications are also listed.
The asymmetric margins are provided for entries and marginal notes
of the reader.
Instructions for the thermodynamic calculations of the performance
parameters of high explosives, gun propellants, and rocket propellants
are given in somewhat greater detail. The basic thermodynamic data
will be found in the extensive synoptic tables. They are based on the
metric system; conversion from the English or the U.S. system can be
made using the conversion tables on the back flyleaf. The front flyleaf
contains a glossary of the terms denoting the characteristics of explosive
materials in six languages.
The standard temperature selected for the energy of formation and
enthalpy of formation data is 25 °C = 298.15 K. The elementary form
of carbon was taken to be graphite (and not diamond, as before). The
numerical values of the energies of formation (which, as known,
appear both in the relevant entry and in the tables) are the optimum
molar values found in the enthalpy tables of Volk, Bathelt and Kuthe:
“Thermochemische Daten von Raketentreibstoffen, Treibladungspulvern
sowie deren Komponenten”, published by the Institut für Chemische
Technologie (ICT), D-76327 Pfinztal-Berghausen 1972.
The US experts in rocket-techniques* and the Institute of Makers of
Explosives** published glossaries on the definition and explanations of
technical terms. Parts of them have been incorporated in the text.
* Published as appendix 4 of the Aerospace Ordnance Handbook by Pollard,
F. B. and Arnold, J. H. Prentice Hall Inc., 1966
** Published as Publication No. 12 by the Institute of Makers of Explosives.