REALLY good books on Xplosives?

[Yikes]

Got some money to spare, lately...now I'm thinking about buying some books about explosives theory, ammunition (EOD) etc. Does anybody know interesting ones?

I already have books about properties of explosives, books about organic chemistry and ones about how to make several common explosives.
I'm looking for books that have at least "university-grade" info.

[NoltaiR]

I don't mean to take nbk's job away from him, but hasn't this topic been posted in at least 2 threads before? I could be mistaken but this seems awefully familiar.

Well if I am wrong then my reply to this post is just to get a copy of a few army technical manuals (just find a search engine and look for them, there are many websites that sell them) especially 'improvised munitions handbook', 'unconventional warfare devices and techniques: incendiaries', and 'mines and boobytraps'.

Also, please DON'T EVER say 'Xplosive', use the correct spelling (in case you didn't know it is 'explosive').

[Yikes]

Sorry, didn't mean to sound kewl...
I did search the forum, just didn't find what I was looking for.

I know where to get the books. (They're sold online about anywhere, nowadays, or so it seems.) But it's hard to find out which books are good, and which are not.

By the way, I do not consider Army Technical Manuals to be really good. They are okay, and offer a lot of information not commonly known to the public. But I don't consider myself 'common public' anymore, so I want/need more scientific information.
(Typically, these are not sold for less than $60, this may serve as an indication. However, not all expensive literature is worth it's money...)

<small>[ March 11, 2002, 06:41 PM: Message edited by: Yikes ]</small>

[Jumala]

The 3 Urbanski books ( chemistry and technology of explosives) are of the best I know.

Escales and Stettbacher books are also good but they are hard to get.

When someone knows a source for this books please let me know.

[NoltaiR]

hahaha.. I don't think anyone around here considers themselves to be of the 'common public' <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

And I agree with the Urbanski books being about the best made that deal with explosives although if you don't know any german (like myself) then you will need to find a good online translator.

[cutefix]

The Picatinny Arsenal Technical Report is a very interesting and informative book than Urbanski.Many explosive experts claims its much better than Urbanski and much more detailed.The only thing is its a rare book nowadays,being published in the 1960,s.It can be found in Libraries,althoughs some avid explosive book collectors profess to own it.
This should be put in FTP,if anybody can scan these voluminous tome.Its author is Federoff.
Besides its in printed in American English so very understandable to read

[Jumala]

All this books are also available in english.
I think Anthony could have the english versions but I´m not certain.

[nbk2000]

I've seen the PA books. The university library where I used to live had them.

I don't remember the exact number of volumes, but it was at least as thick as several major city phone books stacked.

Whowever scans that in deserves a medal. :p

And it covered a huge number of explosives. I remember the AP article though. It only had one process (H2SO4) and required ether (?!).

So when it comes to the more common explosives, I think we're more technically advanced the the PA reports. Though they cover a much wider breth of explosives than we ever have.

You mention Fedoroff. There's a 61MB file on the FTP called "Federoff.ACE". Could this be it? Someone with phat bandwidth will have to download it and tell us.

<small>[ March 13, 2002, 02:42 AM: Message edited by: nbk2000 ]</small>

[NoltaiR]

I have heard of them before but that is about the extent of it. As far as the forum goes, we would have more advanced procedures of the compounds that we do make although the PA books primarily gain their integrity by having the original documentation of each explosive's synthesis rather than also having the data of others who have reproduced the procedure in a slightly different way (whether it be for better or for worse). I know that mega's procedure for AP is the original documentation put in his own words, and his requires H2SO4 and ether.

edit: Just one more comment on something off the subject, I just realized that according to nbk's profile, he is no longer from 'satan's asshole to your mouth'... I thought this was funny but then again that may just be me <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

(Gee, if I'd known someone would notice.... :D

But since I've been communicating with the owner of the Frugal Squirrel site for a mutually benifical arrangement, the nature of which I'm not going to get into here, I'd thought it a bit more prudent to make some changes.

NBK2000)

<small>[ March 13, 2002, 02:47 AM: Message edited by: nbk2000 ]</small>

[Anthony]

I haven't got the books I'm afraid - "American" English indeed... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

I'll download that Federoff.ace file and see what it is.

[a_bab]

I was the first <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

...Yes, it's cool:
Federoff_Volume02_by_the_unbound.ace

IS

"ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EXPLOSIVES AND RELATED ITEMS", by Basil T. Fedoroff, 5 volumes. Volume 2 has 645 pages (!)

so is worth a download. The volume one is also present as I remember. And I hope the rest will be uploaded soon...
...So thanks to "the unbound" !

[cutefix]

Its ten volume explosive encyclopedia called the Picatinny Arsenal Technical Report 2700.It is also called Encyclopedia of Explosives and related Items..
It was published in the USA therefore it should be written in American English…
I presume that federoff ace is the volume 1 of that set.The 10 volume hard copy was reputed to be sold at 750 dollars per set.However availability is the problem,and only rare and old book suppliers could provide it.The price may fluctuate also. There was also a CD-ROM for that which retails at 500 dollars.The problem is its retailer is difficult to contact.However try this:
<a href="http://www.ntis.gov/fcpc/cpn8572.htm" target="_blank">http://www.ntis.gov/fcpc/cpn8572.htm</a>
The hard bound volumes was said to be available before at ISEE(International Society of Explosive Engineers) at more than 600 dollars.

[a_bab]

I found also this:

<a href="http://www.aslib.co.uk/notes/1999/sep/cd-rom/05.html" target="_blank">http://www.aslib.co.uk/notes/1999/sep/cd-rom/05.html</a>

Could be a dare for people from UK ? What do you think, Mr. Cool ? Tempting uh ? ...But expensive also :( ...

[xoo1246]

Oh, I don't think my 56kbit modem will like this.

[Mr Cool]

Four hundred quid?! You gotta be joking! The only way I'd have enough cash to buy that would be if I won the lottery.
Sounds good though!
Maybe if we all chip in a few £... :)

[a_bab]

Yes, it may be a good idea. If 30 of us will contribute with 20 bucks each, you can buy the CD, then upload the ISO image to the FTP.

[wantsomfet]

Why don't you wait, I'm sure the unbound will upload the other volumes, too, sometime... No need to spend lots of money....

[Max Power Jr.]

That's what we all hope: meanwhile, who can help him finding what he's looking for? He is

... "searching right now for a few missing articles from Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics - mega made an hp the last year but it's down.

e.g. Volume 24, Issue 4 page 269-307.

Does anyone have it complete ???"

And, again, thanks to "The Unbound".

<small>[ March 18, 2002, 09:23 AM: Message edited by: Max Power Jr. ]</small>

[NoltaiR]

Hey a fellow texan! Where at (region-wise)?

Anyways I am halfway done with the download... hopefully this works because I have a 28.8k and it takes an eternity to download something like this... especially since I have a discount ISP that requires that I be actually surfing the net, otherwise it disconnects automatically.

[Max Power Jr.]

Sorry for my little lie, NoltaiR, I'm actually an italian.
Living (legally) in the U.S. has been my life-long dream: saying that I'm from TX helps to believe it will come true, sooner or later.

Try using KeepItAlive not to be disconnected, it's freeware: <a href="http://www.wantdbest.com/freebies" target="_blank">www.wantdbest.com/freebies</a>

<small>[ March 18, 2002, 09:19 AM: Message edited by: Max Power Jr. ]</small>

[RTC]

What's the point, just go to Start>run> then type COMMAND. the just keep pinging someone/something.

or go to <a href="http://www.passtheshareware.com/c-conect.htm" target="_blank">http://www.passtheshareware.com/c-conect.htm</a> and download something that will keep your connection alive, like someone else mentioned.

[the_unbound]

As soon as I have a bit more time I'm going to complete the next volume and upload it.

[mongo blongo]

Ok..something strange is happening in this thread! Is it just me or have some posts just disappeared?
Someone posted this url on march 17th :
<a href="http://www.uvkchem.com/laboratory.htm" target="_blank">http://www.uvkchem.com/laboratory.htm</a>
I then gave a reply and now they have gone!
I did a search for this url and the result was this page but the posts are nowhere to be seen !
Is it my computer playing up or is it a bug?
Can anyone see them?

[cutefix]

Yeah,I was the one who put it .I just do not understand why it was removed.Is there something wrong with it?That URL looks decent.Have anybody of the mods got that book and find it in appropriate to be placed here?

[ALENGOSVIG1]

Hey ive got that book. Its a good book, But its not exactly for the home chemist. The procedurs use hard to find chems etc and for alot of procedures special glassware is needed. Some of the explosives in my PDF are from that book.

[cutefix]

I talked to a former colleague, just now by phone who incidentally purchased that book also (previously).According to him it contains new methods and formulations ;including RDX,new explosives,plastic explosives,nitrations which is radical in content.It was said to possess some alternative way of making 99%nitric acid.
May I ask, how true is that Alen?

I think you are right then in saying that it was indeed for professional chemists and not for home chemists planning to improvise the methods.

[ALENGOSVIG1]

The nitric is made by mixing H2SO4/KNO3 then adding methylene chloride. You then extract the meythlene chloride and then evapouate it leaving pure nitric acid. Theres a patent for this somwhere on wasntsomefets page too. Methylene chloride can be bought as acrylic adhesive.

Ill post all of the RDX methods later tonight.

<small>[ March 18, 2002, 09:30 PM: Message edited by: ALENGOSVIG1 ]</small>

[cutefix]

That is an interesting method Alen,I think I remember , heard that before but I did not put attention in it due to percieved fault ,as its difficult to remove completely the solvent from the acid.And how can it compare in nitric acid recovery if compared to well known methods practiced by fellow members?

I would anticipate that the resulting 99% acid will be darker colored than the distilled material made from oleum and alkali nitrates.
From my understanding methylene chloride will darken on standing specially if exposed to heat,such as what happens in the reaction between H2SO4 and nitrates;therefore the resulting nitric acid will presumably be not yellowish but reddish or brownish.

Comparative performance of these nitric acids made with pure distillation and solvent extraction should be interesting study;because if these latter method is better,it can be adaptable to home synthesis,and there is no need to procure vacuum equipment to improve acid quality and recovery....

[ALENGOSVIG1]

Well according to the book, you dont even have to evapourate the methylene chloride. In fact, some of the explosives in the book require that you mix methylene chloride with pure nitric. Im going to start writing up the RDX procedures.

Oh, and alot of the information the in book can be found in patents. Its just scaled up/down usually.

<small>[ March 18, 2002, 11:22 PM: Message edited by: ALENGOSVIG1 ]</small>

[ALENGOSVIG1]

99% nitric acid

1) add 194g of 98% sulphuric acid to a beaker and cool it to 0 degrees Celsius in an ice bath.
2)While stirring and maintaining the temperature at 0 degrees Celsius, slowly add 100g of potassium nitrate over a time period of 1 hour.
3)While stirring and keeping the temperature at 0 degrees celsius, add 260 ml of cold water over a period of one hour.
4)Extract the acid with seven 150 ml portions of methylene chloride.
5)Add ALL of the methylene chloride to a distillation apparatus and distill at 40 degrees celsius untill no more methylene chloride is collected in the recieving flask.

I looked at the RDX procedures and they all have illustrations on how to set up the glassware so ill wat untill i can scan the images.

<small>[ March 18, 2002, 11:45 PM: Message edited by: ALENGOSVIG1 ]</small>

[cutefix]

Really..,if these are found in patents,then, these can be the modern methods of making RDX (and HMX) by multistep process; by first converting hexamine to DAPT,then TAT,and maybe SOLEX and nitrating with N2O5/P2O5 as proposed by Lukasavage and others.
I remember also a method of making RDX by condensation of trioxane,and nitriles to form a tripropionyl-hexahydro-triazine intermediate and nitrating with mixed acids to form an HMX free RDX.The problem with these latter method is the low yield.

Well at least that book then lives to the expectation increasing the number of means of obtaining a particular explosive...and its worthwhile to read....as well as suitable reference manual.

<small>[ March 21, 2002, 01:46 AM: Message edited by: cutefix ]</small>

[ALENGOSVIG1]

There are 3 methods for making RDX in the book. I'll list each methods summary and precursors as a little preview. There are also 6 RDX based explosives listed. Most of the binders will have to be bought from chemical suppliers, but the book lists the manufacturers. Below are the RDX compositions listed in the book.

Compositin B
Compoition RAP
PBX
RDX-20
C-3
C-4


Heres summaries and precursors for the 3 methods in the book.

RDX method 1

DAPT
glacial acetic acid
ammonium nitrate
70% nitric acid
acetic anhydride

DAPT is reacted with ammonium nitrate and acetic anhydride. Nitric acid is added to acidify the reaction mixture.

RDX Method 2

Propionitrile
98% sulphuric acid
trioxane
99% nitric acid

Propionitrile and sulphuric acid are heated together then a solution of triaxane in propionitrile is added to form a triazine compound. The triazine slurry is added to 99% nitric acid.

RDX Method 3

hexamine
99% nitric acid
70% nitric acid
sodium nitrite

RDX is prepared by treating hexamine with 99% nitric acid, then with 70% nitric acid.

<small>[ March 19, 2002, 12:56 AM: Message edited by: ALENGOSVIG1 ]</small>

[nbk2000]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">3)While stirring and keeping the temperature at 0 degrees celsius, add 260 ml of cold water over a period of one hour.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">From the way it's worded, you'd get the impression that they mean to add the water to the acid slurry, not the slurry to the water. Or is there some reason for adding water to a concentrated acid solution that I'm not aware of? Because it's the rule that you always add acid to water, lest you get boiling acid splattered on you.

The frederoff.ace file is an excellent book! The references citeed in the blasting caps listing alone is worth the download. The cap delays listed in the patents might be integrated into the IPDM project.

Another really good book, if you can find a copy, would be "Barrier Penetration Database". All about getting into places by going through, over, under, or around all the fences, walls, doors, etc. It was originally written as a security manual for nuclear power facilities by Sandia. Hundreds of pages. Lot's of explosive devices are listed and what their performance is.

I had a copy till my (punk) parole officer took it. :mad:

[ALENGOSVIG1]

I was wondering about that myself. But thats what it says in the book. I think i read a similar thing in a patent before. Im trying to find it right now.

[cutefix]

That process that used DAPT for RDX was borrowed from a Gardec process.It is more easy to follow than using the anhydride process where a mixture paraformaldehyde,ammonium nitrate,acetic anhydride and nitric acid are combined in a way to form the cyclonite.It is not easy to determine the intermediates in succeeding process.
Hexamethylenetetramine was converted to diacetylpentamethylenetetramine(DAPT) by reaction with acetic anhydride:
(CH2)6N4 + (CH3CO)2O = (CH3CO)2(CH2)5N4.(DAPT) then this is dissolved in acetic acid then nitrated like using a blend of nitric acid,ammonium nitrate and acetic anhydride
to form RDX.
(CH3CO)2(CH2)5N4(in CH3COOH) + 2HNO3 + [(CH3CO)2O + NH4NO3] = (CH2)3(NNO2)3 or RDX

If this is done the other way inorder to form the HMX it will then undergo this steps;
DAPT is converted to TAT(Tetraacetyltetramethylenetetramine) (CH3COO)2(CH2)5N4
(CH3CO)2(CH2)5N4 +2(CH3CO)2O (in presence of CuO) = (CH3CO)4(CH2)4N4
Then it is converted to SOLEX – acetyltrinitrocyclotetramethylenetetramine.
(CH3CO)4(CH2)4N4 + 3HNO3(with P2O5)= (CH2)4(NNO2)3.CH3CO or (SOLEX) + 3CH3COOH
SOLEX is then converted to HMX in the same process;
(CH2)4(NNO2)3.CH3CO + HNO3(with P2O5) = (CH2)4(NNO2)4 or (HMX)