Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Cast ETN critical diameter demonstration

Ral123 - 14-4-2013 at 12:34

I barely believed it, hand pressed mixture of ETN/Tetryl blasts trough a plank but the zone where the mixture is cast is not detonated. All enthusiasts of nitric esters should know about this. Liquid density nitric esters fail without good initiation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqY760OKLtw&feature=youtu...

Fantasma4500 - 15-4-2013 at 05:44

i guess you would need to direct the force more if it fails like this..
the best would ofcourse to center the charge and perhaps dig in the ground, or water.. sounds strange when theyre both sensitive by themselves.. but ofcourse the higher the density the harder it will be to initiate.. what about melting? i know it works well for plain etn in aluminium foil, or well so it did in my dreams..

Ral123 - 15-4-2013 at 05:53

The purpose of that demonstration is to show that melt ETN has critical diameter of at least in my opinion 5mm unconfined(the Tetryl I think decreases it). It's plain luck if it works melted in small diameters for you, if you heat it till it explodes, then the initial temperature is aiding the explosive decomposition. With confinement(thicker case or buried in mud and wet sand) the diameter decreases.

Fantasma4500 - 16-4-2013 at 10:08

Quote: Originally posted by Ral123  
The purpose of that demonstration is to show that melt ETN has critical diameter of at least in my opinion 5mm unconfined(the Tetryl I think decreases it). It's plain luck if it works melted in small diameters for you, if you heat it till it explodes, then the initial temperature is aiding the explosive decomposition. With confinement(thicker case or buried in mud and wet sand) the diameter decreases.

i cant say more but that when i was dreaming one night i didnt even see or hear the fuel start burning before every silence known to man was put to a rest by a very loud bang (: good dream..

Ral123 - 16-4-2013 at 12:02

I love burn tests, but ETN appears kinda tricky. That mixture with Tetryl required glasses and ear protection and stuff. Otherwise the video would be called R.I.P. ears.

hyfalcon - 16-4-2013 at 13:31

Looks like youtube pulled the video.

My mistake, it's working now.

[Edited on 16-4-2013 by hyfalcon]

Ral123 - 16-4-2013 at 13:49

Youtube has left tutorials on how to make ANFO and blow it up with AP...

Trotsky - 16-4-2013 at 15:41

They have a very strange application of censorship at youtube. what goes and what stays is entirely arbitrary.