Astrolite ( Eng. Astrolite ) - a type of liquid mixed explosives , proposed in the 1960s by Herald Hurst, a chemist at Atlas Powder Company. Registered trademark. Used in industry and construction, but were supplanted by cheaper and safer explosive compounds.
Content
Composition and properties
Two brands are best known:
- "Astrolit G" is the most common brand, it consists of ammonium nitrate as an oxidizing agent and hydrazine as fuel in a ratio of 2: 1 by weight . The detonation velocity is approximately 8600 m / s .
- "Astrolit A" - a mixture of "Astrolit G" with highly dispersed aluminum powder . It has a detonation speed lower (approximately 7600 m / s), however, due to its greater density and brisance, it has greater application efficiency.
Relative Efficiency
There is a widespread (but incorrect) opinion that Astrolit G is the most powerful non-nuclear explosive. High in relation to nitroglycerin and TNT , the astrolite detonation velocity is only slightly higher than the ten or RDX detonation velocity. Moreover, the density and energy characteristics of the astrolite are much lower.
Application Features
A notable feature of astrolites is high stability for the liquid state and low volatility . The astrolite distributed on the surface can be absorbed into the soil and retain explosive properties for several days.
Notes
Astrolit-G retains its explosive properties for 5 days after manufacture. It has high toxicity.