An explosive is classified as a low or high explosive according to its rate of combustion: low explosives deflagrate (burn rapidly), while high explosives detonate.

Explosive, any substance or device that can be made to produce a volume of rapidly expanding gas in an extremely brief period. There are three fundamental types: mechanical, nuclear, and chemical.

Aug 12, 2025 · Explosive materials are listed alphabetically by their common names, followed by chemical names and synonyms in brackets. Click here for the current List of Explosive Materials.

It details the chemical composition, sensitivity to various stimuli, and practical applications of different types of explosives, such as gunpowder, smokeless powder, and primary explosives.

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Water gels, slurries, emulsions and ANFO blends are the predominate explosives in use. Note, however, that water gels, slurries, and emulsions can be formulated to be cap sensitive.

In this chapter, we will discuss the classes of explosive, which depends on the types molecules used (their chemistry), and the mix of different molecules used.

There are two major categories, high explosives and low explosives. High explosives are further divided into initiating, or primary, high explosives and secondary high explosives.

Jan 14, 2026 · Understand the science of explosives: the difference between detonation and deflagration, how they are classified, and their vital commercial uses.

*While many military and commercial explosives can be improvised, HMTD and TATP do not have military or commercial purposes.