Ammonal
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Ammonal is an explosive made up of ammonium nitrate, trinitrotoluene, and aluminium powder mixed in a ratio of roughly 22:67:11.
The ammonium nitrate functions as an oxidizer and aluminium as a power enhancer. To some extent the aluminium makes it less sensitive to detonation. The use of the relatively cheap ammonium nitrate and aluminium make it a replacement for pure TNT.
The mixture can suffer because ammonium nitrate is highly hygroscopic. It burns when open, and detonates when confined.
Detonation velocity is 4,400 m/s.
History
From early 1915 the British employed ammonal for their mines during the First World War, the composition was 65% ammonium nitrate, 15% TNT, 17% coarse aluminum and 3% charcoal. Three of the mines at the Battle of Messines which were exploded at the start of the Third Battle of Ypres contained 30,000 lb of ammonal, the fourth contained 20,000 lb.It remains in use as an industrial explosive.
See also
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