Trinity
March 20th, 2004, 08:20 PM
The oxides of some heawy metals are highly toxic. They were given much attention in chemical weapons research, until the nerve-agents made them obsolete. However, weapons based on metal oxides are quite easy to improvise.
During WWII American scientists developed two types of bombs to release Cadmium Oxide Smoke ( C.O.S. ). None of these bombs were used in action , as it was the doctrin of the USA not to make first use of chemical weapons.
Version 1 of the bomb was a cylinder of a cadmium/magnesium alloy, filled with thermite. When the thermite would ignite, it would cause the the cadmium/magnesium casing to burn and create Cadmium Oxide Smoke.
Version 2 of the bomb was also cylindrical, but with a casing of aluminum. It was instead filled with a mixture of 50% cadmium powder and 50% thermite.
Both bombs were quite small, only about 4 pounds. But the idea was to drop them by the thousands in carpet bombing from the air. Large cities was considered the ideal target for these bombs, because of the combined chemical and incendiary effect.
The first version of the bomb will be very difficult to improvise, as the cadmium/magnesium alloy is next to impossible to obtain.
The second version should be quite easy to improvise. The materials for making thermite and thermite igniters are easely available. Cadmium powder is sold by many chemical suppliers.
However, as cadmium is quite toxic in itself, handling it in powder form is not ideal. But sometimes it can also be obtained as flakes, what makes it much more safe to handle.
Cadmium wire is also produced by a few companies. It will take some time to find a company that sells cadmium wire - but, as thin cadmium wire is the safest form of cadmium to handle, and ( if cut into small pieces ) will burn as well as powder, it is obviously the best form of cadmium to use.
Cadmium Oxide Smoke is a lung agent, and will cause damage to the lungs, much similar to that of phosgene. However, Cadmium Oxide Smoke is 10 times more toxic than phosgene.
The effect of Cadmium Oxide Smoke is delayed with about 10 minutes. It has no bad smell or irritating effect to warn people in these first 10 minutes.
Litterature: "Incendiary Weapons", S.I.P.R.I., MIT Press, Cambrige 1975.
"Highly Explosive Pyrotechnic Compositions", by Peder Schultz,
Paladin Press, USA, 1995
Various declassified US-Patents.
During WWII American scientists developed two types of bombs to release Cadmium Oxide Smoke ( C.O.S. ). None of these bombs were used in action , as it was the doctrin of the USA not to make first use of chemical weapons.
Version 1 of the bomb was a cylinder of a cadmium/magnesium alloy, filled with thermite. When the thermite would ignite, it would cause the the cadmium/magnesium casing to burn and create Cadmium Oxide Smoke.
Version 2 of the bomb was also cylindrical, but with a casing of aluminum. It was instead filled with a mixture of 50% cadmium powder and 50% thermite.
Both bombs were quite small, only about 4 pounds. But the idea was to drop them by the thousands in carpet bombing from the air. Large cities was considered the ideal target for these bombs, because of the combined chemical and incendiary effect.
The first version of the bomb will be very difficult to improvise, as the cadmium/magnesium alloy is next to impossible to obtain.
The second version should be quite easy to improvise. The materials for making thermite and thermite igniters are easely available. Cadmium powder is sold by many chemical suppliers.
However, as cadmium is quite toxic in itself, handling it in powder form is not ideal. But sometimes it can also be obtained as flakes, what makes it much more safe to handle.
Cadmium wire is also produced by a few companies. It will take some time to find a company that sells cadmium wire - but, as thin cadmium wire is the safest form of cadmium to handle, and ( if cut into small pieces ) will burn as well as powder, it is obviously the best form of cadmium to use.
Cadmium Oxide Smoke is a lung agent, and will cause damage to the lungs, much similar to that of phosgene. However, Cadmium Oxide Smoke is 10 times more toxic than phosgene.
The effect of Cadmium Oxide Smoke is delayed with about 10 minutes. It has no bad smell or irritating effect to warn people in these first 10 minutes.
Litterature: "Incendiary Weapons", S.I.P.R.I., MIT Press, Cambrige 1975.
"Highly Explosive Pyrotechnic Compositions", by Peder Schultz,
Paladin Press, USA, 1995
Various declassified US-Patents.