Reactive and Explosive Materials

An Introduction

Reactive and Explosive Materials

What are explosive materials?

Definitions
Hazard Categories
Reactivity
Video

What are reactive and explosive materials?

Any material capable of violent or explosive
decomposition when subjected to shock, heat,
friction, flame, static discharge, elevated
temperature, or exposure to air or water.
Resulting decomposition may produce a lethal
shock front, extreme heat, flame or a gaseous
atmosphere that may explode or ignite.

Reactive and explosive materials

These materials may be reactive by nature
or may become reactive due to age,
exposure to air, to a contaminant, exhausted
inhibitors, elevated temperatures, or
separation of product while under bad
storage conditions.

Reactive and explosive materials

Any materials that fit this description, and
whose condition is not known, should be
considered extremely dangerous and should
only be handled by qualified personnel who
are properly equipped to do so.
All these materials can be safely handled and
disposed of if you maintain the proper attitude,
respect, procedures and technical expertise.

Reactive and Explosive Materials

What are explosive materials?

Definitions
Hazard Categories
Reactivity
Video

Definitions
Decomposition: A breakdown of a
substance into a group of different
substances. In the case of highly reactive or
explosive materials, large amounts of
energy will be released

Definitions
Explosion: A chemical reaction that
generates high temperatures and large
amounts of gas at a very fast rate. If under
confinement, an explosion may produce a
shock front and a missile hazard. This may
be a rapid gas expansion (deflagration) in a
confined area or a detonation.

Definitions
Deflagration: A rapid or violent
decomposition with flame and large
amounts of heat. The speed of the
decomposition (the reaction front as it
moves through the material) is subsonic,
i.e.: slower than ~1250 ft/sec. A
characteristic of propellant explosives such
as smokeless powder or a match.

Definitions
Detonation: An extremely rapid and violent
decomposition producing a lethal shock
front, heat and flame. The speed of the
decomposition is supersonic, i.e.: 1250 to
30,000 ft/sec. Picric acid, for example,
detonates at 24,000 ft/sec or 16,344 mph!

Definitions
Shock wave: A high pressure wave that
radiates from the surface of an explosion
that has detonated.
Overpressure: The pressure, over
atmospheric pressure, that is present at the
leading end of a shock wave.

Over Pressure
Example for 1 lbm of TNT
Distance
Over Pressure Effect
10 ft
5 psi lethal, wooden utility poles
snapped
16 ft
3 psi structural damage, steel framed
buildings pulled from foundation
40 ft
1 psi windows break, partial demolition of
houses
250 ft
0.1 psi some windows break

Definitions
SADT: Self Accelerating Decomposition
Temperature.
MSST: Maximum Safe Storage
Temperature

Definitions
Compressed gas (DOT): Any substance having an
absolute pressure exceeding 40 psi at 70F, or, regardless
of pressure at 70F, having an absolute pressure
exceeding 104 psi at 130F, or any flammable liquid
having a vapor pressure exceeding 40 psi at 100F. Any
compressed gas may have a high pressure hazard
regardless of other hazards specific to the material, and
must be protected against an uncontrolled release

Reactive and Explosive Materials

What are explosive materials?

Definitions
Hazard Categories
Reactivity
Video

Hazard Categories
Explosive A: A chemical compound capable
of detonating when unconfined and
subjected to shock or heat. The degree of
sensitivity varies greatly. Some materials
which deflagrate but do not detonate are
also considered class A explosive by DOT.
Black powder is one such example.

Hazard Categories
Explosive B: A chemical compound that
generally deflagrates rather than detonates.
Examples are propellants and pyrotechnic
powders.

Hazard Categories
Explosive C: Any manufactured article that
may contain a small quantity of a class A or
B explosive. Examples are certain types of
fireworks.

Hazard Categories
Flammable Liquid: Any liquid material that
will ignite easily and burn rapidly with a
flash point below 100F, and a vapor
pressure not over 40 psia at 100F.

Hazard Categories
Pyrophoric Liquid: Any liquid material that
will spontaneously ignite and burn rapidly
when exposed to air that is below 130F.
Pyrophoric Solid: Any solid material that
will spontaneously ignite and burn rapidly
when exposed to air that is below 130F

Hazard Categories
Oxidizer, Solid or Liquid: Any solid or
liquid material that spontaneously evolves
oxygen either at room temperature or when
under slight heat.

Hazard Categories
Organic Peroxide, Solid or Liquid: Any
solid or liquid organic compound
containing the bivalent O-O in its structure.
Such compounds release oxygen readily,
are capable of violent or explosive
decomposition, and are generally unstable
at elevated temperatures.

Hazard Categories
Flammable Solid: Any solid material that will
ignite easily and burn rapidly.
Flammable Solid DWW: Basically the same
as a flammable solid, these materials, when
in contact with water, will ignite, explode, or
liberate a flammable gas that itself may ignite
or explode

Hazard Categories
Flammable Gas: Any gas that will ignite easily and
burn rapidly. The flame and heat propagation rate is
so great as to resemble an explosion, especially if
confined.
Non-Flammable Gas: Any gas that doesnt meet the
definition above. Although a gas may be
nonflammable, it may be a strong oxidizer, very
corrosive, or toxic. The high pressure in many
cylinders is a hazard in itself

Reactive and Explosive Materials

What are explosive materials?

Definitions
Hazard Categories
Reactivity
Video

Reactivity
Initiating Stimuli:

Temperature, elevated above SADT

Air, exposure to air
Water, contact with water or moisture
Shock (heat, friction, static), exposure to high
temperatures, flame, grinding friction, or
electrical discharge.
Contamination, contact with an incompatible
material

Reactivity
Sensitizing Stimuli
Contamination, introduction of another material
Age, loss of desensitizer, inhibitor, or a slow, long-term
degradation
Elevated temperature, temperatures high enough to
cause degradation or separation of product
Light, initiates a slow or violent decomposition
Moisture, separation of a product
Freezing, separation of a product

Reactivity
Degrees of Initiating Stimuli
Low sensitivity, must be subjected to a strong shock
or heat source to initiate decomposition
Moderate, any moderate stimuli found in normal
handling, transportation, or disposal.
High, a very sensitive or spontaneous material that,
for no apparent reason, will generate a gas, ignite,
decompose violently, explode, or detonate. Usually
the result of age, exposure, contamination, etc.

Reactivity
Degree of Decomposition
Mild, ignition of a material that burns at a moderate
rate and may ignite adjacent materials.
Severe, ignition of a material that will decompose
with a rapid deflagration and may produce very high
temperatures or large amounts of gas.
Violent, ignition or initiation of a material that will
detonate, produce a lethal shock and missile hazard.

Video
Although filmed in 1988, the message is
timeless: what precautions must be made
when working with explosive and reactive
chemicals.