Dynamite is an explosive based on the explosive potential of nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth (kieselgur: US Spelling; kieselguhr: UK Spelling) or another absorbent substance such as sawdust as an adsorbent. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied Nitroglycerin ( NG) ( US spelling also known as nitroglycerine, ( UK Spelling trinitroglycerin, trinitroglycerine Diatomaceous earth (ˌdaɪətəˈmeɪʃəs ˈɝθ also known as DE, TSS, diatomite, diahydro, kieselguhr, kieselgur and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Adsorption is a process that occurs when a gas or liquid Solute accumulates on the surface of a solid or a liquid (adsorbent forming a film of molecules or atoms (the It was invented by Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in 1866 in Krümmel (Geesthacht, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany); and patented in 1867. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. (21 October 1833 Stockholm, Sweden – 10 December 1896 Sanremo, Italy) was a Swedish chemist engineer innovator armaments manufacturer Geesthacht (geːstˈhaxt is the largest city in the District of the Duchy of Lauenburg (Herzogtum Lauenburg in Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany is the northernmost of the 16 ''Bundesländer'' in Germany. The former English name was Sleswick-Holsatia the Danish name is Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an

It is usually sold in the form of a stick 20 centimetres (roughly 8 in) long and 2. A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth 5 centimetres (1 in) in diameter, but other sizes also exist. Dynamite is considered a high explosive, which means it detonates rather than deflagrates. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied Detonation is a process of Supersonic Combustion in which a Shock wave is propagated forward due to energy release in a reaction zone behind it Deflagration (Lat de + flagrare, "to burn down" is a technical term describing subsonic Combustion that usually propagates through Thermal conductivity

Another form of dynamite consists of nitroglycerin dissolved in nitrocellulose and a small amount of ketone. Nitrocellulose (also cellulose nitrate, flash paper) is a highly flammable compound formed by Nitrating Cellulose through exposure to A ketone (pronounced as key tone) is either the Functional group characterized by a Carbonyl group (O=C linked to two other Carbon atoms or This form of dynamite is similar to cordite. Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace Gunpowder as a military propellant This form of dynamite is much safer than the simple mix of nitroglycerin and diatomaceous earth/kieselgur.

Uses

Dynamite is predominantly used in the mining, quarrying, and construction industries and has had historical use in warfare, but its unstable nature, especially if subjected to freezing, has rendered it obsolete for modern military use. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Dynamite has been replaced for combat purposes by military dynamite, a mixture of TNT, RDX, inert binders and anti-freeze agents. Trinitrotoluene ( TNT) is a Chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO23CH3 Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, also known as RDX, cyclonite, hexogen, and T4, is an Explosive Nitroamine widely used Military dynamite has approximately 60% of the strength of nitroglycerin-based, commercial dynamite. ^[1]

History

Alfred Nobel's patent application from 1864. (21 October 1833 Stockholm, Sweden – 10 December 1896 Sanremo, Italy) was a Swedish chemist engineer innovator armaments manufacturer A patent application is a request pending at a Patent office for the grant of a Patent for the Invention described and claimed by that application Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year

Dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel and was the first safely manageable explosive stronger than black powder. (21 October 1833 Stockholm, Sweden – 10 December 1896 Sanremo, Italy) was a Swedish chemist engineer innovator armaments manufacturer Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes Nobel obtained patents for his invention: in England on 7 May 1867; and in Sweden on 19 October 1867. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. ^[2] He originally sold dynamite as "Nobel's Blasting Powder". After its introduction, dynamite rapidly gained popularity as a safe alternative to gunpowder and nitroglycerin. Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes Nitroglycerin ( NG) ( US spelling also known as nitroglycerine, ( UK Spelling trinitroglycerin, trinitroglycerine Nobel tightly controlled the patent, and unlicensed duplicators were quickly shut down. However, a few United States businessmen got around the patent by using a slightly different formula. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Manufacture

Dynamite consists of three parts nitroglycerin, one part diatomaceous earth and a small admixture of sodium carbonate. Nitroglycerin ( NG) ( US spelling also known as nitroglycerine, ( UK Spelling trinitroglycerin, trinitroglycerine Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda ash), is a Sodium Salt of Carbonic acid. This mixture is formed into short sticks and wrapped in paper. Nitroglycerin by itself is a very strong explosive, and in its pure form it is shock-sensitive (physical shock can cause it to explode), degrading over time to even more unstable forms. This makes it highly dangerous to transport or use in its pure form. Adsorbed onto diatomaceous earth, nitroglycerin is less shock-sensitive.

Over time, the dynamite will "weep" or "sweat" its nitroglycerin, which can then pool in the bottom of the box or storage area. Crystals will form on the outside of the sticks. This creates a very dangerous situation. While the actual possibility of explosion without a blasting cap is minimal, old dynamite is still dangerous. A blasting cap is a small Explosive device generally used to detonate a larger more powerful Explosive such as Dynamite.

South Africa

For several decades from the 1940s, the biggest producer of dynamite in the world was the Republic of South Africa, where De Beers established a factory in 1902 at Somerset West. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa De Beers and the various companies within the De Beers Family of Companies engage in exploration for diamonds, diamond mining diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacture Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The explosives factory was later operated by AECI (African Explosives and Chemical Industries). AECI Limited is a South African Chemicals group and is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange. The demand for the product came mainly from the country's vast gold mines, centered on the Witwatersrand. The Witwatersrand is a low sedimentary range of hills at an elevation of 1700-1800 metres above sea-level which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in The factory at Somerset West was in operation in 1903 and by 1907 was already producing 340,000 cases (22 kilograms (50 lb) each) annually. In addition, a rival factory at Modderfontein was producing another 200,000 cases per year. ^[3]

One of the drawbacks of dynamite was that it was dangerous to manufacture. There were two massive explosions at the Somerset West plant in the 1960s. Some workers died, but loss of life was limited by the modular design of the factory and earth works and plantations of trees that directed the blasts upwards. After 1985, production of dynamite at the factory was phased out. ^[4]

USA

In the United States, in 1885, chemist Russell S. Penniman invented ammonia dynamite, a form which utilized ammonium nitrate in addition to the more costly nitroglycerin. The Chemical compound ammonium nitrate, the Nitrate of Ammonia with the chemical formula N[[Hydrogen H]]4 N[[Oxygen O]]3 These dynamites were marketed with the trade name, "Extra. " Ammonium nitrate has 85% of the energy of "straight" nitroglycerin. Dynamite was manufactured by the E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc. until the mid-1970s. E I du Pont de Nemours and Company (,) is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a Gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée Other US dynamite makers of the era included Hercules, Atlas, Trojan-US Powder, Austin, and several other smaller firms. Dynamite was eventually phased out in favor of water gel explosives, which is cheaper to manufacture and in many ways safer to handle. A water gel explosive is an Explosive Mixture ( Slurry) consisting of a saturated Aqueous solution of Oxidizers and/or ^[5]

Difference from TNT

It is a common misconception that TNT and dynamite are the same thing. For examples see Common misconceptions. A misconception happens when a person believes in a Concept which is objectively Trinitrotoluene ( TNT) is a Chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO23CH3 Though both are high explosives, there is no other similarity between them. Where dynamite is an absorbent mixture soaked in nitroglycerin, then compacted into a cylindrical shape and wrapped in paper, TNT is a specific chemical compound called trinitrotoluene.

Popular culture

• The familiar thin reddish cylinder, equipped with a fuse or blasting cap, is a stock movie prop. In an Explosive, Pyrotechnic device or military Munition, a fuse (or fuze) is the part of the device that initiates function A blasting cap is a small Explosive device generally used to detonate a larger more powerful Explosive such as Dynamite. A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is any object held or used on stage by an Actor for use in furthering the plot or story line of a Theatrical In comedies and cartoons, dynamite commonly explodes with the only effect being a blackened face and wild hair. In dramas, the impending explosion of lit dynamite parcels provides movie tension. In action films, dynamite is often used as a weapon.
• The explosiveness of dynamite has caused expressions such as saying that "such and such" an issue "is dynamite" or "political dynamite" (e. g. [2]).

See also

• Nitroglycerin
• TNT
• Titadine
• Tovex
• Nobel Prize. Nitroglycerin ( NG) ( US spelling also known as nitroglycerine, ( UK Spelling trinitroglycerin, trinitroglycerine Trinitrotoluene ( TNT) is a Chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO23CH3 Titadyn 30 AG (often referred to as Titadine) is a type of compressed Dynamite used in mining and manufactured in southern France by Titanite Tovex (also known as Threnchrite, Seismogel, and Seismopac) is a Water gel explosive that has several advantages over traditional Dynamite The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature ^[6]

Patent

• U.S. Patent 0,078,317 , Improved explosive compound
• U.S. Patent 3,931,763 , Explosive priming device

References

Footnotes

Sources

• Cartwright, A. P. (1964). The Dynamite Company: The Story of African Explosives and Chemical Industries Limited. Cape Town: Purnell & Sons (S. A. ) (Pty) Ltd.
• Schück, H. and Sohlman, R. (1929). The Life of Alfred Nobel. London: William Heinemann Ltd.

External links

• Oregon State Police - Arson and Explosives Section (Handling instructions and photos)
• Big bang
• Detonator cables