Explosives are enabling mining, explosive tunnel boring, industrial materials production, harvesting at rock mines or quarries, and explosives are a core energetic material for munitions manufacturing for weapons used in war like bombs, motors, nuclear weapons based on spherical explosive lens compression precisely timed correctly, missiles, warheads, and even in stabilized forms as rocket propellent in solid rocket motors, or as gas generating mixes in larger bullets to produce gas pressure to shove the bullet down the barrel, or in cannons on ships with large special rounds or in tank bullets where stabilized explosive propellants replace nitrocellulose powders used in smaller caliber bullets more popular with gun consumers, like the Glock 19 and 9mm ammo.
As many use cases for explosives have different requirements, there are different explosives that fit each application better. Take a look at some common examples.
Acetone Peroxide / acetone & strong hydrogen peroxide in a chilled vessel, extremely dangerous.
Black Powder early black powder rifle, fireworks, fuses, and crude pipe bombs
Flash Powder report of M80 or salutes or bang from loud consumer fireworks
HMTD explosive shaped charges to cut bridges or blowout metal door hinges, tactical
Acetylene Gas with Oxygen used in cutting and welding torches
Mercury (II) Fulminate (centerfire bullet primer struck by firing pin)
Nitroglycerin early sensitive explosive caused many accidents
PLX shaped charges and other munitions
Trinitrotoluene (TNT) early mining explosive, replace by ammonium nitrate + fuel oil (cheaper)
RDX (Hexogen) & HMX (Octogen) military weapons, tactical explosives
Ammonium Nitrate common rocket fuel component for solid rocket engines
Picric Acid fireworks and similar
ETN & PETN tactical explosives
Sodium Azide, a colorless utilized as the gas-forming component car airbag systems, though for cost saving a switch to a cheaper ammonium nitrate inflator substance caused the steel air bag inflators to corrode, when inflated exploding throwing shrapnel that killed 13 drivers in car accidents where the airbag system activated, badly injuring more than 100 other drivers. This gave rise to the largest airbag recall ever. Takata the world's largest airbag maker was looking for a way to improve profits, an ammonium nitrate much less costly 6X less than sodium azide. But sodium azide did not corrode the steel inflator case materials. Ammonium nitrate very corrosive to the steel inflator materials. In this way profit generation was put above the concern for public health or safety of the product in real world applications. In this way the executives at Takata were out of touch with the reality created by the switch from costly sodium azide to cheaper ammonium nitrate as the gas generating substance in airbag inflator cartridges made of steel.
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