!Types and Uses!

There are many types of explosives but they all pretty much fit into
four main groups, Primary, Low, High, and Blasting Agents. Each of these
groups is used for different things including blasting, military use,
demolishing, and excavating. Some of these explosives were used hundreds
of years ago and some are used now but you may see that we have
progressed a lot since the first explosives.

Primary Explosives

Primary, the first of the four main groups, is not as well known as the
other groups, but is still used commonly. Primary explosives aren¹t
usually used as the main explosive itself, but as a detonator. They are
good detonators because they are very sensitive to the heat of fuses.
Common primary explosives are lead azide, lead stiphnate, and mercury
fulminate. They aren¹t very extravagant, but they do the job.

Low Explosives

Low explosives, the second of the four groups, contains the first real
explosives. Gunpowder, in its two forms(black and the more modern
gray), is the first of the low explosives and one of the first ever
invented. Gunpowder doesn't explode, but burns rapidly forming a high
pressure gas which launches objects extremely fast. The second of the
low explosives may come as a surprise to you, fireworks! It is odd that
something so peaceful as a fire work could be in the same group as
weapons of war. Low explosives are not used to blow things up, but as a
propellant instead. Some low explosives are beautiful, some deadly, but
they are one of the many steps people have taken.

High Explosives

High explosives,the most stunning of the groups, is very unique. With
greater power and less sensitivity than the others, high explosives are
the perfect explosive for blasting and excavating. They aren¹t just used
for blasting and excavating, though, they are also used in many military
weapons including missiles, bombs, and other weapons.
Nitroglycerin, the most powerful and sensitive of all the explosives,
was the first high explosive. With a touch of a feather nitroglycerin
explodes, with a force that is three times that of gunpowder.
Another type of high explosives is RDX. RDX is an explosive that was
used in bombs for world war two. RDX is made of nitric acid and
hexamethylene-tetramine. TNT (trinitro-totoluene) is also used in bombs
and shells, as well as pentolite (PETN+TNT). PETN (pentaerythritol
tretrinitrate) is the final high explosive, which is used in detonating
caps and fuses.High explosives are stunning, but powerful and deadly.

Blasting Agents

Blasting agents, the final group of explosives, is the most peaceful
because they are not used in military weapons, yet they are very
powerful and are used in mining and excavating. Blasting agents aren¹t
used in military weapons, but mining and excavating instead. These are
inexpensive, yet safe and powerful. Dynamite, a mixture of nitroglycerin
and kieselguhr(which is made of tiny sea animals bones), is the most
well known blasting agent. Dynamite does what it¹s made to do, and well,
It blasts. ANFO, another blasting agent, is not very interesting, but
contains a huge amount of power. ANFO (amonium nitrate+fuel oils) is
used for excavating. Blasting agents are not very well known, but they
are good at what there made for.