Explosive Theory

This website is contains information about the chemistry behind explosives

Saturday, August 19, 2006

TOY CAPS?

Air Blast TNT Equivalency for Rolls of Paper Toy Caps

K. R. Mniszewski [FX Engineering, Inc., Hinsdale, IL, USA]
and K. L. Kosanke [PyroLabs, Inc. Whitewater, CO, USA]

Abstract: A study of the explosive output of rolls of paper toy caps, in variously sized assemblages, was conducted. The testing has shown that toy cap rolls are clearly capable of producing a powerful explosive effect if initiated with a sufficiently energetic event. TNT equivalencies based on toy cap composition mass ranged from approximately 10 to 80% for different sized configurations, with the largest equivalences being produced by the largest assemblages of toy caps tested. The results of this study are disturbing, considering that the toy caps (even in bulk packaging) have a UN classification of 1.4S, which by definition should not produce significant blast or fireball effects when initiated. Thus perhaps it is appropriate to consider whether the UN test protocol is adequate for this product.

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bcc1985s12 ((THIS IS MY EXPLOSIVES AND WEAPONS FORUM NAME))
A New Voice Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Washington, in the U.S.
Posts: 16


Cap Powder Volitility

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris The Great
Also, modern 8 shot caps are a mix of potassium chlorate and red phosphorus. THAT will set off your dynamite, although it's fairly hard to get the stuff out since they are tiny and have sand in them.



When you state that caps would need to be used in larger quantities than bp to detonate the dynamite, I am not sure you understand the power of the child's toy caps. Empty the powder from about 70 caps(the type that come in red plastic 8-shot rings).

This cost's about 69 cents around my house. This is relatively simple and quick once you get the hang of it.

Put the powder in a gell cap(a vitamin capsule, like for activated charcoal), with a small ball-bearing on one or both ends, inside the capsule as well. If you do not have ball-bearings, you can use BB's, or even small stones. Tape it clased, and throw it, it will make a loud bang.

It looks like this, cap powder in the center, and tape holding the two sides of the capsule together.

(O:::::O)

An equal amount of homemade black powder or even store-bought reload cannot make a bang sound so loosely confined, in such small quantities. Cap powder is powerful, and could undoubtedly be incredibly useful in homemade detonators. I will attempt one such detonator and post the results.

EXPERIMENTAL MILITARY HIGH EXPLOSIVE

I have not made this one yet, due to cost. I will hopefully make it in the future, but if someone out there could make it, and inform me on it's properties, that would be great. There is little know about this explosive including detonation velocity.

The source report for this info is MHSMP-71-880, from LLNL.

Benzotrifuroxane (BTF)

Formula: C6N6O6
Melting point: 195° C
Boiling point: decomposes at 265° C
Solubility;
water: insoluble
95+% ethanol: soluble

Benzotrifuroxane (BTF) is a stable explosive investigated by the US explosives labs. It has a base structure of a hexane ring, the pi bonds of the TNTAB's benzene ring being broken in forming the trioxane rings.


1,3,5-Trinitro-2,4,6-triazidobenzene (TNTAB)

Formula: C6(N3)3(NO2)3
Melting point: unknown
Boiling point: unknown
Solubility;
water: insoluble to slightly soluble
95+% ethanol: soluble

TNTAB is an intermediate in the production of Benzotrifuroxane (BTF). It is likely a shock sensitive explosive, but no information in unclassified literature is available about this.

Synthesis (TNTAB):

1) A 500 ml 3-neck flask is fitted with a mechanical stirrer, a thermometer, and a graduated addition funnel. A circulating water bath is used to maintain the reaction at a constant temperature.

2) 5.3 g of 1,3,5-Trinitro-2,4,6-trichlorobenzene (TNTClB, also designated in other reports as TCTNB) is added to 150 ml of ethanol in the flask.

3) Prepare, in a beaker, add 20 ml of water to 60 ml of 95+% ethanol. To this, add 3.2 g of sodium azide and stir until disolved. Pour this solution into the addition flask.

Note: The report mentions elsewhere that not all of the sodium azide or TNTClB will go into solution.

4) While stirring, slowly add, over 30 minutes, the sodium azide solution to the TNTClB solution. Continue the stirring for the next 6 hours. Adjust the water bath flow to maintain a 20° C temperature for the solution.

5) When complete, add 150 ml of water to the solution with stirring. The TNTAB intermediate will precipitate out of solution.

6) Filter out the TNTAB and wash with 100 ml of water (the last is their recommendation).

Note: It is recommended that the purification process mentioned in the LLNL report not be followed. The people who were performing the experiment used 10 washings of the product with 95% ethanol, and discovered that they were washing away the product (even the pros screw up). They used a final wash consisting of 75 ml of ethanol and 75 ml of water, which did not appear to disolve much of the product. This was followed by a wash of 100 ml of water. I suspect that washing out the unreacted sodium azide and resultant sodium chloride can be done with water only. The implications of the report are that TNTAB is only slightly soluble, or insoluble, in water.


Synthesis (BTF):

1) Dissolve 10 g of TNTAB (above) in 45 ml propanoic acid, and place the solution in a reflux apparatus on an oil bath at 135° - 140° C for 30 minutes. As the solution is warmed, all solids will go into solution at approximately 80° C. Considerable N2 gas is evolved as the azo groups break down and form the furoxane rings.

2) The solution is allowed to cool, and is poured into 400 ml of water. The BTF precipitates out of solution

3) Filter off and dry the BTF.

Note: The report recommends refluxing in xylene, but also mentions that they do not have a viable method to recover the BTF from the xylene. The refluxing in propanoic acid has the advantage of recovery of the product by precipitating the BTF by adding water.
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