Timeline of explosives

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This timeline lists the development of explosives and related events.

Contents

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Timeline

Year(s)EventSource
1st millennium Gunpowder, the first explosive, is developed. [1] [2]
1040 - 1044The book Wujing Zongyao contains three formulas for gunpowder, the first such reference.
1267 Roger Bacon's Opus Majus contains the first European reference to gunpowder. [3]
1659 Ammonium nitrate is first synthesized by Johann Rudolf Glauber; it wasn't used as an explosive until World War I. [4]
1745 William Watson shows that an electric spark can ignite gunpowder, demonstrating the first detonator. [5]
1845 Nitrocellulose is invented by Christian Schoenbein. [6]
1846 Nitroglycerin is invented by Ascanio Sobrero. It is the first practical explosive stronger than gunpowder. [7] [8]
1863 TNT is invented by Julius Wilbrand, but used only as a yellow dye. [9]
Sep 3, 1864A nitroglycerin explosion at Immanuel Nobel's factory kills Alfred Nobel's youngest brother Emil Oskar Nobel and five other factory workers. [8] [10]
Nov 28, 1864Alfred Nobel establishes his first company, Nitroglycerin Aktiebolaget, the first commercial manufacturer of nitroglycerin. [11]
1865Alfred Nobel develops a detonator using mercury fulminate in a copper capsule to detonate nitroglycerin. [8]
1866 Dynamite is invented by Alfred Nobel by mixing nitroglycerin with silica. It is the first safely manageable explosive stronger than gunpowder. [12]
1867The use of ammonium nitrate in explosives is patented in Sweden. [13]
1875 Gelignite, the first plastic explosive, is invented by Alfred Nobel. [14] [13]
1884 Paul Marie Eugène Vieille creates Poudre B, the first practical smokeless powder. [6]
1891The explosive properties of TNT are discovered by Carl Häussermann. [9]
1894 PETN is patented by the Rheinisch-Westfälische Sprengstoff A.G.  [ de ] [15]
1898 RDX is invented by Georg Friedrich Henning, but not used until World War II. [16]
1906 Dunnite is invented by US Army Major Beverly W. Dunn.
1908The first detonating cord, a lead tube filled with TNT, is patented in France. [17]
Dec 6, 1917 Halifax Explosion: A cargo of TNT, picric acid, benzol, and guncotton aboard aboard a ship explodes after a collision, killing at least 1,782 people. It was the largest artificial explosion at the time. [18]
Apr 16, 1947 Texas City disaster: 2,100 metric tons of ammonium nitrate aboard a docked ship explode, ultimately killing at least 581 people, the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history. [19]
1952 Semtex, a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN, is invented by Stanislav Brebera. [20]
1955 ANFO is developed, consisting of 94% ammonium nitrate. [6]
1956 C-4 is developed as part of the Composition C family of plastic explosives; it contains 91% RDX.
Aug 4, 2020 Beirut explosion: A large amount of ammonium nitrate explodes, causing at least 218 deaths. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Nobel</span> Swedish chemist and inventor (1833–1896)

Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prize. He also made several important contributions to science, holding 355 patents in his lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynamite</span> Explosive made using nitroglycerin

Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents, and stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germany, and was patented in 1867. It rapidly gained wide-scale use as a more robust alternative to the traditional black powder explosives. It allows the use of nitroglycerine's favorable explosive properties while greatly reducing its risk of accidental detonation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Explosive</span> Substance that can explode

An explosive is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An explosive charge is a measured quantity of explosive material, which may either be composed solely of one ingredient or be a mixture containing at least two substances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunpowder</span> Explosive once used in firearms

Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). The sulfur and charcoal act as fuels while the saltpeter is an oxidizer. Gunpowder has been widely used as a propellant in firearms, artillery, rocketry, and pyrotechnics, including use as a blasting agent for explosives in quarrying, mining, building pipelines, tunnels, and roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitroglycerin</span> Chemical compound

Nitroglycerin (NG), also known as trinitroglycerol (TNG), nitro, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), or 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane, is a dense, colorless or pale yellow, oily, explosive liquid most commonly produced by nitrating glycerol with white fuming nitric acid under conditions appropriate to the formation of the nitric acid ester. Chemically, the substance is an organic nitrate compound rather than a nitro compound, but the traditional name is retained. Discovered in 1846 by Ascanio Sobrero, nitroglycerin has been used as an active ingredient in the manufacture of explosives, namely dynamite, and as such it is employed in the construction, demolition, and mining industries. It is combined with nitrocellulose to form double-based smokeless powder, used as a propellant in artillery and firearms since the 1880s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TNT</span> Impact-resistant high explosive

Trinitrotoluene, more commonly known as TNT (and more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene), and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagent in chemical synthesis, but it is best known as an explosive material with convenient handling properties. The explosive yield of TNT is considered to be the standard comparative convention of bombs and asteroid impacts. In chemistry, TNT is used to generate charge transfer salts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordite</span> Smokeless propellant, used to replace gunpowder

Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in Britain since 1889 to replace black powder as a military firearm propellant. Like modern gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance. These produce a subsonic deflagration wave rather than the supersonic detonation wave produced by brisants, or high explosives. The hot gases produced by burning gunpowder or cordite generate sufficient pressure to propel a bullet or shell to its target, but not so quickly as to routinely destroy the barrel of the gun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detonator</span> Small explosive device used to trigger a larger explosion

A detonator, sometimes called a blasting cap in the US, is a small sensitive device used to provoke a larger, more powerful but relatively insensitive secondary explosive of an explosive device used in commercial mining, excavation, demolition, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammonium nitrate</span> Chemical compound with formula NH4NO3

Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula NH4NO3. It is a white crystalline salt consisting of ions of ammonium and nitrate. It is highly soluble in water and hygroscopic as a solid, although it does not form hydrates. It is predominantly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ANFO</span> Explosive

ANFO ( AN-foh) (or AN/FO, for ammonium nitrate/fuel oil) is a widely used bulk industrial high explosive. It consists of 94% porous prilled ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) (AN), which acts as the oxidizing agent and absorbent for the fuel, and 6% number 2 fuel oil (FO). The use of ANFO originated in the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amatol</span> High explosive mixture

Amatol is a highly explosive material made from a mixture of TNT and ammonium nitrate. The British name originates from the words ammonium and toluene. Similar mixtures were known as Schneiderite in France. Amatol was used extensively during World War I and World War II, typically as an explosive in military weapons such as aircraft bombs, shells, depth charges, and naval mines. It was eventually replaced with alternative explosives such as Composition B, Torpex, and Tritonal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smokeless powder</span> Type of propellant

Smokeless powder is a type of propellant used in firearms and artillery that produces less smoke and less fouling when fired compared to black powder. Because of their similar use, both the original black powder formulation and the smokeless propellant which replaced it are commonly described as gunpowder. The combustion products of smokeless powder are mainly gaseous, compared to around 55% solid products for black powder. In addition, smokeless powder does not leave the thick, heavy fouling of hygroscopic material associated with black powder that causes rusting of the barrel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammonal</span> Explosive made of ammonium nitrate and aluminium

Ammonal is an explosive made up of ammonium nitrate and aluminium powder, not to be confused with T-ammonal which contains trinitrotoluene as well to increase properties such as brisance. The mixture is often referred to as Tannerite, which is a brand of ammonal.

A World War I explosive factory, which was to be later known as NEF Pembrey was built, by Nobel's Explosives, with British Government approval, near the village of Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The factory was built on a site consisting of mainly sandhills and sand dunes to provide some protection against damage caused by an explosion. Its main product was TNT (Trinitrotoluene) used for shell filling. The same site was used in World War II to build another explosive factory ROF Pembrey, which also made TNT.

There have been many extremely large explosions, accidental and intentional, caused by modern high explosives, boiling liquid expanding vapour explosions (BLEVEs), older explosives such as gunpowder, volatile petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline, and other chemical reactions. This list contains the largest known examples, sorted by date. An unambiguous ranking in order of severity is not possible; a 1994 study by historian Jay White of 130 large explosions suggested that they need to be ranked by an overall effect of power, quantity, radius, loss of life and property destruction, but concluded that such rankings are difficult to assess.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tovex</span> Water-gel explosive

Tovex is a water-gel explosive composed of ammonium nitrate and methylammonium nitrate that has several advantages over traditional dynamite, including lower toxicity and safer manufacture, transport, and storage. It has thus almost entirely replaced dynamite. There are numerous versions ranging from shearing charges to aluminized common blasting agents. Tovex is used by 80% of international oil companies for seismic exploration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faversham explosives industry</span> Explosives industry in Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom

Faversham, in Kent, England, has claims to be the cradle of the UK's explosives industry: it was also to become one of its main centres. The first gunpowder plant in the UK was established in the 16th century, possibly at the instigation of the abbey at Faversham. With their estates and endowments, monasteries were keen to invest in promising technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apache Nitrogen Products</span> American explosives manufacturer in Arizona

Apache Nitrogen Products began in 1920 as an American manufacturer of black powder based explosives. In the 1930's production transitioned to nitroglycerin-based explosives (dynamite) for the mining industry and other regional users of dynamite. The company changed its name to Apache Nitrogen Products in 1990 to reflect the shift away from Nitroglycerine dynamite to prilled Ammonium Nitrate for the mining industry, and by-products for the fertilizer industry. It occupies a historic location in Cochise County, Arizona and is one of its largest employers.

References

  1. ↑ Padmanabhan 2019, p. 59.
  2. ↑ Romane 2020, p. 220.
  3. ↑ "Roger Bacon | Philosophy, Biography, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  4. ↑ "The deadly history of ammonium nitrate, the explosive linked to the Beirut blast". Science. 2020-08-06. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  5. ↑ Royal Society (Great Britain); Britain), Royal Society (Great; Hutton, Charles; Maty, Paul Henry; Pearson, Richard; Shaw, George; Stuart, Alexander; Britain), Royal Society (Great; Britain), Royal Society (Great (1744). Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Vol. 43. London: Royal Society of London.
  6. 1 2 3 "Explosive - Nitramon, Nitramex, and Smokeless Powder | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  7. ↑ Magazine, Smithsonian; Eschner, Kat. "The Man Who Invented Nitroglycerin Was Horrified By Dynamite". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  8. 1 2 3 "Explosive - Black Powder, Gunpowder, Glazing, and Safety Fuse | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  9. 1 2 Szondy, David (2018-06-15). "New explosive could render toxic TNT obsolete". New Atlas. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  10. ↑ "Alfred Nobel's Industrial Activities in Vinterviken". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  11. ↑ "Alfred Nobel – Dynamit" (in Swedish). Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  12. ↑ "Alfred Nobel Was the Inventor of This Explosive Substance". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  13. 1 2 "Explosive - Nitroglycerin, Ammonium Nitrate, and TNT Isomers | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  14. ↑ "How to handle gelignite". Wired UK. ISSN   1357-0978 . Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  15. ↑ "PETN | chemical compound | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  16. ↑ "RDX | explosive | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  17. ↑ "Explosive - Detonating Cord, Primacord, TNT, and Shaped Charge | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  18. ↑ "Halifax Explosion". Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  19. ↑ "Texas City explosion of 1947 | industrial disaster, Texas City, Texas, United States [1947] | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  20. ↑ "Czech inventions that took the world by storm: the verzatilka, the patentka and Semtex". Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union. 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  21. ↑ "Beirut explosion: What we know so far". BBC News. 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

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