If you are unfamiliar with initiators, when you hear the phrase "exploding-bridgewire" you may picture a bridge blowing up and the hero running away from it in the nick of time, like an action movie cliché. But these devices are not about “burning bridges” like the demo video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwc2rVX2Jkw Exploding-bridgewires (EBW's) have a slug/header … Continue reading Exploding-Bridgewire
Ah, one of my favorite types of energetic material--pyro!! Call me a pyromaniac (but please don't though?), because I just find pyro to be so cool (but actually VERY hot) and fun (but be safe kids)! So what is pyro? Pyrotechnics are low explosives, so they do not detonate (although, they can unintentionally undergo detonation … Continue reading Pyrotechnics
Primers, or Primary High Explosives, are super sensitive explosives that do not take much to be initiated. Typical primer mixes contain lead styphnate, lead (II) azide, tetracene, mercury fulminate, or an antimony-sulfide mixture, and a grit which further sensitizes the mix when crushed by compression. [1] Primary explosives are often a heavy metal attached to an … Continue reading Primers
Let's talk about the basics of thermites! Thermite falls under "pyrotechnics" because it does not explode, detonate, or deflagrate, but it releases a large heat effect. A thermite burns slow and with little to no gas. Like a fine whiskey....? Thermite heat Thermite Mixture A common thermite reaction between Aluminum and Iron (III) Oxide. This … Continue reading Thermites
It Goes Boom 