explosive

Introduction
Types of chemical explosives
Black powder
- History of black powder
- Manufacture of black powder
- Ignition of black powder
- Safety fuse
Nitroglycerin
Dynamite
- Ammonium nitrate
- Low-freezing dynamite
Other explosives
- Chlorates and perchlorates
- Sprengel explosives
- Liquid oxygen explosives
- Nitrostarch explosives
- Nitramon and Nitramex explosives
Modern high explosives
- Ammonium nitrate–fuel oil mixtures
- Water gels
Nitrocellulosic explosives
Blasting caps
- Electrical firing
  - Blasting machines
  - Ignition systems
- Delay systems
Detonating cord
Military explosives
- TNT
- Picric acid and ammonium picrate
- Shaped charges
Other industrial applications
- Explosive rivets
- Explosive bonding

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

coal miner loading a drill hole with an explosive

Producing explosives: A delicate science

At a Glance

explosive summary

Related Questions

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External Websites

National Park Service - Explosives (PDF)

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

explosive - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

explosive

chemical product

Written by

Norman Gardner Johnson

Industry Manager, Explosives Department, Du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1960–67; Technical Specialist, Technical Service Section, 1943–60. Author of Safety in the Transportation,...

Norman Gardner Johnson

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

explosive, any substance or device that can be made to produce a volume of rapidly expanding gas in an extremely brief period. There are three fundamental types: mechanical, nuclear, and chemical. A mechanical explosive is one that depends on a physical reaction, such as overloading a container with compressed air. Such a device has some application in mining, where the release of gas from chemical explosives may be undesirable, but otherwise is very little used....

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