Explosives Lexicon

ANFO

Mixture of 95% ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. One of the first permitted civil explosives, and most widely used in industrial applications

Black powder

Black powder is Mechanical Mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur

75%/15%/10%.

CT# Property

As in medical applications, the analysis of 3D computed tomography (CT) images requires an attenuation scale for each pixel. In explosives detection, the CT# is a normalized index of X-ray attenuation based on scale of -1000 (air) to +1000 (bone), with water being 0. The scale used in the analysis of images produced by CT-based explosives scanners is adapted to the characteristics of baggage and typical packed items.

Combustion:

Exothermic reaction (with or without the presence of atmospheric oxygen)

Between oxidizer and fuel.

Detonator:

Device for initiation of explosives mainly by detonation chain of primary, secondary and main explosive charge. There are many types of initiation methods like pyrotechnic, electric, stab, laser, etc. The initiation can be immediate or with time delay made by pyrotechnic or electric circuit.

Explosives

Pure or mixed solid or liquid compounds, in Meta stable state able transformation to gas products by fast chemical reaction without external reactant. Initiation of explosives can be achieved by heat, mechanical shock or spark.

Fuse cord

Fuse cord is an igniting explosive device in form of a flexible cord with a core of low or high explosive. When filled with black powder called safety time delay cord. PETN, RDX or HMX core fillers deployed as detonation cords to connect explosives charges circuits to one another.

Grain

Mass unit for gun propellants and detonation cords. 1 grain = 0.0648 g.

Hexogen

Also known as RDX. White powder mostly used in plastic bonded explosives mixtures with binder and plasticizers or cast explosives together with TNT and other high explosives.

Visual and Tactile Properties

Different types of explosives differ in their colour, light reflection properties and surface texture. Some look and feel like powders and come in various colours, while others are moulded or are in liquid form – with varying degrees of transparency and in different colours.

X-ray Absorption Properties

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation: energy in the form of photons, which is transported through space as a combination of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of the energy propagation.

Attenuation is the reduction in the intensity of an X-ray beam as it traverses matter, as a result of either the absorption or the deflection of photons.

Z effective Property

The Z effective number is a valuable parameter in the analysis of the type of compound being investigated based on X-ray interactions. Similar to an atomic number used to distinguish single elements, the Z effective number is used to identify molecules and mixtures comprising two or more elements.