Introduction - Liquid Explosives - page 2

nitrate compounds worldwide [ 7 , 8 ]. The energetic compounds of nitroalcohol,
alcohol with azido- and nitro- groups, and amines have been also extensively
studied [ 9 ]. The performance of these energetic liquid explosives offsets the
shortcoming of low energy density of single compound liquid explosives.
In the 1960s, Astrolite, a new family of high liquid explosive mixture based on
hydrazine nitrate was developed by the Atlas Powder Company, USA. It has a
maximum detonation velocity of 8,600 m/s and twice the explosion strength to TNT
[ 10 ]. Since its inception, this explosive has been extensively studied, manufactured,
and used in many countries because of its advantages of high energy, excellent
performance, and wide application. In 1978, a composite liquid explosive of
nitromethane and ammonium nitrate was discovered in the USA. The explosive has
extremely low freezing point. Thus, it exhibits great detonation property even at
low temperature [ 11 ].
In 1966, an explosion bulge test of new liquid explosives was successfully
performed in Japan [ 12 ]. The binary liquid explosives composed of oxidizer and
combustible agent reportedly have high improved reliability and safety. The
combustible agent is aromatic sulfonic acid and the oxidizer is hydrogen peroxide.
They are stored separately unless in use. The advantages of the explosives, such as
easy-obtaining raw materials, powerful explosive effect, good safety, easy opera-
tion, make them widely applied in many

fields. In 1981, a composite liquid
explosive, which was mixed with nitric acids, aminomethane, and an oxidizer [ 13 ],
with denotation velocity of 8,400 m/s was developed and used in water in Japan.
The Government Chemical Industrial Research Institute, Tokyo, developed high
liquid explosives with density of more than 1.5 g/cm 3 and denotation velocity of
7,600 8,200 m/s. The explosives were made from tri(trinitroethyl)orthoformate,

tetra(trinitroethyl)orthocarbonate, bis(trinitroethyl)carbonate, and nitro alkanes,
such as nitromethane and nitroethane, and featured as small critical diameter, good
safety, and shock insensitive [ 14 ].
In 1974, high powerful liquid/solid explosives with 75 % gasoline and 25 %
carbon stone were developed in France. When the projectile contacts with an
objective, acetylene gas is formed. Under function of an ignition tube, a massive
blast takes place. The blast would not only destroy the objective, but also cause
extensive burns [ 15 ].
In 1984, China developed a liquid explosive of ammonium nitrate hydrazine
hydrate [ 16 ] with detonation velocity of 8,300 m/s.
In the past two decades, it the study of high energy density materials over the
world has attracted considerable attention and a series of liquid explosives of azide
ammonium nitrate and azide nitrate have been developed [ 9 , 17 , 18 ]. In recent
years, liquid explosives of azide alkanes and nitrate esters have been also developed
to break the limit of application conditions and make product serialization [ 19 ].
Overall, the developed countries lead the development and application of liquid
explosives [ 7 , 17 ]. Asian countries involve in the area positively.
The following features of liquid explosive mixture, in comparison with solid
explosives, are the main reason to attract widespread attention.

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