Ethan Clarke
Plastic explosives are soft and hand-mouldable solid forms of explosive material. They are also known as putty explosives and are often used for explosive demolition. The name 'plastic' comes from the fact that they are malleable or flexible at normal room temperature. Common plastic explosives include Semtex and C-4. The first plastic explosive was gelignite, invented by Alfred Nobel in 1875.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | An explosive material in flexible or elastic sheet form formulated with one or more high explosives. |
| Texture | Soft and hand-mouldable. |
| Plasticity | Plastic explosives are malleable or flexible at normal room temperature. |
| Common Types | Semtex, C-4, Nobel's Explosive No. 808, Composition C, C2, C3, Nitrols, Gelignite. |
| Composition | RDX, plasticizers, polyisobutylene, mineral oil, lithium grease, binder, taggant, etc. |
| Uses | Military, civilian, commercial, and construction applications. |
| Advantages | Easily mouldable, stable, resistant to accidental detonation, high cutting ability. |
| Disadvantages | Expensive, prone to becoming brittle in cold weather, emits poisonous fumes when burnt. |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic explosives are soft and hand-mouldable
The first plastic explosive was gelignite, invented by Alfred Nobel in 1875. It had the appearance of green plasticine and a distinctive smell of almonds. During World War II, it was extensively used by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) for sabotage missions.
One of the simplest plastic explosives was Nobel's Explosive No. 808, also known as Nobel 808 or just Explosive 808. It was developed by the British company Nobel Chemicals Ltd before World War II. It was used in the failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler on 20 July 1944.
Common plastic explosives include Semtex and C-4. C-4 is composed of explosives, plastic binder, plasticizer to make it malleable, and usually a marker or odorizing taggant chemical. It has a texture similar to modelling clay and can be moulded into any desired shape. Military-grade C-4 is commonly packaged as the M112 demolition block.
Another widely used plastic explosive, Semtex, is manufactured by the Czech company Explosia. It contains a mixture of PETN (50–75%), RDX (5–40%), a styrene-butadiene polymer (9%), and a plasticizer (8–9%).
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They are used in military and civilian applications
Plastic explosives are used in both military and civilian applications. In the military, plastic explosives are often used for demolition purposes, as they can be easily moulded into shapes that can cut through metal. For instance, plastic explosives were used in the warhead of the Petard demolition mortar of the British Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) during Operation Overlord (D-Day) to destroy concrete fortifications. Military-grade C-4, a common plastic explosive, is often packaged as the M112 demolition block, which can be used to cut through solid steel.
Another military application of plastic explosives is in reactive tank armour. Plastic explosives are sandwiched between two plates of steel. When an incoming high-explosive anti-tank round pierces the outer steel plate, the plastic explosive detonates, disrupting the energy from the incoming round and shielding the tank.
Plastic explosives are also used in civilian applications, such as shock-hardening high-manganese percentage steel, which is used for train rail components and earth-digging implements. Commercial C-4 is blended with different oils to distinguish it from military C-4.
During World War II, plastic explosives were extensively used by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) for sabotage missions. A type of plastic explosive known as Nobel 808, or Explosive 808, was used in these sabotage missions and in the failed 20 July plot assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler in 1944.
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Common plastic explosives include C-4 and Semtex
Plastic explosives are soft and hand-mouldable solid explosives. They are especially suited for explosive demolition, as they can be easily formed into ideal shapes for cutting through structural members. Common plastic explosives include C-4 and Semtex.
C-4 is a plastic explosive substance similar in structure to Semtex. It is composed of explosives, a plastic binder, a plasticizer to make it malleable, and usually a marker or odorizing taggant chemical. C-4 has a texture similar to modelling clay and can be moulded into any desired shape. It is relatively insensitive and can only be detonated by the shock wave from a detonator or blasting cap. C-4 is used by both military and terrorist organizations. It was the most common plastic explosive employed by the military in Vietnam.
C-4 is composed of 90% cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) and 10% polyisobutylene. The manufacturing process for C-4 involves adding wet RDX and plastic binder to a stainless steel mixing kettle. This mixture is then dried on trays using forced air for 16 hours at 50-60°C. Military and commercial C-4 are blended with different oils, which can be used to distinguish their sources.
Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It was developed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) and was widely exported. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and certain military applications. Semtex is usable over a greater temperature range than other plastic explosives, remaining plastic between −40 and +60 °C. It is also waterproof. Semtex is offered in several variants, including Semtex 1A, Semtex 1H, Semtex 10, and Semtex C-4.
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The first plastic explosive was gelignite, invented in 1875
The first plastic explosive was gelignite, invented by Alfred Nobel in 1875. Gelignite is a soft and hand-mouldable solid form of explosive material, also known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering. Gelignite is especially suited for explosive demolition and can be easily formed into ideal shapes for cutting structural members. It has a high enough velocity of detonation and density for metal-cutting work.
One of the simplest plastic explosives was Nobel's Explosive No. 808, of the gelignite type, also known as Nobel 808. It was developed by the British company Nobel Chemicals Ltd well before World War II. It had the appearance of green plasticine with a distinctive smell of almonds. During World War II, it was extensively used by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) for sabotage missions. It was also the explosive used in HESH anti-tank shells and was an essential factor in the devising of the Gammon grenade.
An early use of gelignite was in the warhead of the Petard demolition mortar of the British Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE). This was used to destroy concrete fortifications encountered during Operation Overlord (D-Day). Frangex, a commercial gelignite intended for use in mines and quarries, was produced in the 1970s by Irish Industrial Explosives Limited. It was produced at Ireland's largest explosives factory in Enfield, County Meath.
The term "plastique" dates back to the Nobel 808 explosive introduced to the U.S. by the British in 1940. Samples of the explosive brought to the U.S. by the Tizard Mission had already been packaged by the SOE for dropping via parachute container to the French Resistance. They were therefore labelled in French as "Explosif Plastique".
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Plastic explosives are highly stable and resistant to accidental detonation
Plastic explosives are soft and hand-mouldable solid explosives, also known as putty explosives. They are commonly used for explosive demolition and include Semtex and C-4. C-4 is composed of explosives, plastic binder, plasticizer to make it malleable, and usually a marker or odorizing taggant chemical. It has a texture similar to modelling clay and can be moulded into any desired shape.
C-4 is highly stable and resistant to accidental detonation. It is relatively insensitive and can only be detonated by the shock wave from a detonator or blasting cap. It cannot be detonated by a gunshot or by dropping it onto a hard surface. It does not explode when set on fire or exposed to microwaves. Its insensitivity can be attributed to the large amount of binder used in its composition. Impact tests done by the U.S. military indicate that C-4 is less sensitive than C-3 and is fairly insensitive. In a test referred to as "the rifle bullet test", only 20% of the vials burned, and none exploded.
C-4 is a common variety of the plastic explosive family known as Composition C, which uses RDX as its explosive agent. RDX, together with plasticizers, is added to decrease sensitivity and make the composition plastic. The plasticizer also makes C-4 malleable. Military and commercial C-4 are blended with different oils, and the oil must be separated from the C-4 sample to analyse its source.
C-4 is used in military applications for explosive demolition and for cutting through solid steel. Military-grade C-4 is packaged as the M112 demolition block, which is used to breach obstacles or demolish large structures. Each priming assembly includes a detonating cord and capped at each end with a booster. When detonated, the explosive is converted into compressed gas, which exerts pressure in the form of a shock wave, resulting in the demolition of the target.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic explosives are a soft and hand-mouldable solid form of explosive material. They are also known as putty explosives and are especially suited for explosive demolition.
Plastic explosives are called 'plastic' because they are malleable or flexible at normal room temperature. They are mixture of secondary explosives with flexible binding material that also serves as fuel.
Some common plastic explosives include Semtex, C-4, and Nobel's Explosive No. 808, also known as Nobel 808.
