Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Detonation of Liquid Explosives by Impact

Nature volume 157, page 105 (1946)Cite this article

Abstract

ALTHOUGH a considerable amount of experimental work has been done on the impact sensitivity of liquid explosives, the mechanism of initiation by mechanical shock is not fully understood. Furthermore, the values for sensitivity obtained by different workers showed marked variations. With nitroglycerine, for example, the figures quoted range from 14,000 gm. cm.1,2,3 down to 500 gm. cm. (sensitivity given as the product of mass of striker in gm. multiplied by height of fall in cm.). An attempt has been made to investigate in more detail the physical processes which occur during impact, and to study the mechanism of the initiation and growth of explosion4,5.

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Berthmann, A., Chem. Abst., 35, 625 (1941).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Will, Z. ges. Schiess u. Sprenstoffwesen., 209 (1906).

  3. Naoum, P., "Nitroglycerine and Nitroglycerine Explosives" (Baltimore, 1928).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bowden, F. P., Eirich, F., Ferguson, A. E., and Yoffe, A., Coun. Sci. Indust. Res. (Aust.) Bull., 167 (1943).

  5. Bowden, F. P., Eirich, F., Mulcahy, M. F. R., Vines, R. G., and Yoffe, A., Coun. Sci. Indust. Res. (Aust.) Bull, 173 (1943).

  6. Bowden, F. P., Mulcahy, M. F. R., Vines, R. G., and Yoffe, A., Coun. Sci. Indust. Res. (Aust.) Lubricants and Bearings Report A. 113, No. 7 (December 1944).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lubricants and Bearings Section, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University of Melbourne,

    F. P. BOWDEN, M. F. R. MULCAHY, R. G. VINES & A. YOFFE

Authors
  1. F. P. BOWDEN
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. F. R. MULCAHY
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. G. VINES
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. YOFFE
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BOWDEN, F., MULCAHY, M., VINES, R. et al. Detonation of Liquid Explosives by Impact. Nature 157, 105 (1946). https://doi.org/10.1038/157105a0

Download citation

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/157105a0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing