DennyDevHE77 - 24-7-2024 at 23:57
It jelly-like explosives made of nitroesters (NG, EGDN, DEGDN) and 7-10% coloxylin.
In many books (especially in 1930s) it is stated that freshly prepared explosive jelly yields about 7800 m/sec
But after a few days the explosive jelly produces only 2-3 km/s, and after a few years it does not initiate at all.
And then I realized that I do not know the reasons for this, in the books where this phenomenon is described there is no explanation, and more modern
studies I have not found, because the explosive jelly became not interesting to society seems to be before the Second World War
[Edited on 25-7-2024 by DennyDevHE77]
Fulmen - 25-7-2024 at 00:53
I assume coloxylin is cellulose nitrate?
My first guess would be the presence of bubbles/voids, these can have a significant effect on explosive performance.
DennyDevHE77 - 25-7-2024 at 01:15
Yeah. Colloxylin is cellulose dinitrate. Trinitrate is almost never gelatinized.
Laboratory of Liptakov - 25-7-2024 at 03:07
.......DennyDevHE77........information in books are nonsenses. Quality stabilzed ( neutralized) nitroesters (and his mixtures) and nitrocompounds are
stabille in order 20 years.
Similarly as is stabille nitrocellulose / nitroglycerine shotgun powder with content stabilizator centralite or nexts stabilzitators. If is mixture
stabile, is not reason for decrease VoD. Yes, weak no quality detonator can cause low VoD.
Microtek - 25-7-2024 at 09:15
I agree with all of the above. As the jelly slowly sets and becomes more homogenous, it probably becomes more prone to incomplete initiation and low
order detonation if the detonator is not powerful enough. This would give an observed effect as described in the texts.
DennyDevHE77 - 25-7-2024 at 20:31
It wasn't about the stability of the jelly and its shelf life. When dynamite and other nitroglycerine explosives were in vogue, nitroglycerine was
quite well purified, it was quite well stored for many years.
The question in this thread was about the severe drop in susceptibility after only a few days. More precisely, the question was what phenomenon causes
this drop in susceptibility.
I guess it's my fault for wording it wrong. In post-Soviet countries, the degradation of jelly does not mean decomposition, but a drop in
susceptibility. And that is what it is called in the specialized books.
DennyDevHE77 - 25-7-2024 at 20:52
I note that in the books where these experiments are actively described (that is, the books are just 30s), in all experiments detonator capsule number
8 was used. But it is not clear which one, then there was number 8 (1.6 g of mercury fulminate with 0.4 potassium chlorate) and the same number 8 (0.4
g mercury fulminate and 1.6 g tetryl)
[Edited on 26-7-2024 by DennyDevHE77]