Content deleted Content added
179.254.213.194 (talk) →Usage: C4 is widely used on criminal activities as well, due to US troop mishandled of the equipment in the midle east made it easily available in countries of Europe. Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
→See also: Added sister links |
||
(21 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{redirect|Plastique}} |
{{redirect|Plastique}} |
||
{{TAFI}} |
|||
[[Image:Eod2.jpg|thumb|[[C-4 (explosive)|C-4]] plastic explosive (the off-white rectangular blocks) being used to destroy unexploded artillery components.]] |
[[Image:Eod2.jpg|thumb|[[C-4 (explosive)|C-4]] plastic explosive (the off-white rectangular blocks) being used to destroy unexploded artillery components.]] |
||
'''Plastic explosive''' is a soft and hand-moldable solid form of [[explosive material]]. Within the field of [[explosives engineering]], plastic explosives are |
'''Plastic explosive''' is a soft and hand-moldable solid form of [[explosive material]]. Within the field of [[explosives engineering]], plastic explosives are known as '''putty explosives'''.<ref name="Cooper"> |
||
{{cite book |
{{cite book |
||
|last=Cooper |
|last=Cooper |
||
Line 16: | Line 17: | ||
==Usage== |
==Usage== |
||
[[Image:C4 plastic explosive.jpg|thumb| |
[[Image:C4 plastic explosive.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A C-4 charge packed onto a marine anchor chain]] |
||
Plastic explosives are especially suited for explosive demolition of obstacles and [[fortification]]s by [[engineer]], [[combat engineer]]s and criminals as they can be easily formed into the best shapes for cutting structural members and have a high enough [[velocity of detonation]] and density for metal cutting work. |
Plastic explosives are especially suited for explosive demolition of obstacles and [[fortification]]s by [[engineer]]s, [[combat engineer]]s and criminals as they can be easily formed into the best shapes for cutting structural members and have a high enough [[velocity of detonation]] and density for metal cutting work. |
||
An early use of plastic explosives was in the warhead of the British [[Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers]]'s (AVRE)'s Petard demolition mortar, used to destroy concrete fortifications encountered during [[Operation Overlord]] (D-Day). The original use of Nobel 808 supplied by the SOE was for [[sabotage]] of German installations and railways in [[German-occupied Europe|Occupied Europe]].{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} |
An early use of plastic explosives was in the warhead of the British [[Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers]]'s (AVRE)'s Petard demolition mortar, used to destroy concrete fortifications encountered during [[Operation Overlord]] (D-Day). The original use of Nobel 808 supplied by the SOE was for [[sabotage]] of German installations and railways in [[German-occupied Europe|Occupied Europe]].{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} |
||
Line 25: | Line 26: | ||
Some [[terrorism|terrorist]] groups have used plastic explosives. In October 2000, al-Qa'ida used C-4 to [[USS Cole bombing|attack]] the [[USS Cole (DDG-67)|USS ''Cole'']], killing 17 sailors<ref name="Guardian Bomb Type">{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/aug/21/alqaida.iraq |title=Bomb type and tactics point to al-Qaida |last= Whitaker|first=Brian |date=21 August 2003 <!-- 09.00 BST --> |work=[[The Guardian]] |publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]] |accessdate=July 11, 2009 | location=London}}</ref> In 1996, terrorists used C-4 to blow up the [[Khobar Towers bombing|Khobar Towers]] U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fas.org/irp/news/2001/06/khobar.html|title=ATTORNEY GENERAL STATEMENT ON KHOBAR TOWERS INDICTMENT|work=fas.org}}</ref> |
Some [[terrorism|terrorist]] groups have used plastic explosives. In October 2000, al-Qa'ida used C-4 to [[USS Cole bombing|attack]] the [[USS Cole (DDG-67)|USS ''Cole'']], killing 17 sailors<ref name="Guardian Bomb Type">{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/aug/21/alqaida.iraq |title=Bomb type and tactics point to al-Qaida |last= Whitaker|first=Brian |date=21 August 2003 <!-- 09.00 BST --> |work=[[The Guardian]] |publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]] |accessdate=July 11, 2009 | location=London}}</ref> In 1996, terrorists used C-4 to blow up the [[Khobar Towers bombing|Khobar Towers]] U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fas.org/irp/news/2001/06/khobar.html|title=ATTORNEY GENERAL STATEMENT ON KHOBAR TOWERS INDICTMENT|work=fas.org}}</ref> |
||
Reactive armor in tanks use plastic explosives sandwiched between two plates of steel. Incoming high explosive anti-tank rounds pierce the outer steel plate, then detonate the plastic explosive. This absorbs the energy from the incoming tank round and shields the tank.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Soldiers Handbook, Volume 1: Explosives Operations|last1=Ledgard|first1=Jared|date=2007|chapter=Introduction to Explosives}}</ref>{{rp|9}} |
|||
==History== |
==History== |
||
[[File:Preparation_of_the_demolition_with_explosive_charges_and_wire_(22731570152).jpg|thumb|Disposal of munitions with plastic explosives]] |
|||
The first plastic explosive was [[gelignite]], invented by [[Alfred Nobel]] in 1875. |
The first plastic explosive was [[gelignite]], invented by [[Alfred Nobel]] in 1875. |
||
Line 35: | Line 40: | ||
During and after World War II a number of new [[RDX]]-based explosives were developed, including [[Composition C|Compositions C, C2, and eventually C3]]. Together with RDX these incorporate various plasticisers to decrease sensitivity and make the composition plastic. The origin of the obsolete term "'''plastique'''" dates back to the Nobel 808 explosive introduced to the U.S. by the British in 1940. The samples of explosive brought to the U.S. by the [[Tizard Mission]] had already been packaged by the SOE ready for dropping via parachute container to the [[French Resistance]] and were therefore labelled in French, as ''Explosif Plastique''. It is still referred to by this name in France and also by some Americans. |
During and after World War II a number of new [[RDX]]-based explosives were developed, including [[Composition C|Compositions C, C2, and eventually C3]]. Together with RDX these incorporate various plasticisers to decrease sensitivity and make the composition plastic. The origin of the obsolete term "'''plastique'''" dates back to the Nobel 808 explosive introduced to the U.S. by the British in 1940. The samples of explosive brought to the U.S. by the [[Tizard Mission]] had already been packaged by the SOE ready for dropping via parachute container to the [[French Resistance]] and were therefore labelled in French, as ''Explosif Plastique''. It is still referred to by this name in France and also by some Americans. |
||
==Types== |
|||
C3 was effective but proved to be too brittle in cold weather. In the 1960s it was replaced by C-4, also using RDX but with [[polyisobutylene]] and di(2-ethylhexyl)sebacate as the binder and [[plasticizer]]. {{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} |
|||
===Composition C=== |
|||
[[File:C4 explosive.jpg|thumb|left|A 1.25 lb demolition charge of C4 explosive]] |
|||
[[File:USMC-100609-M-0761B-014.jpg|thumb|A marine shapes a charge of C4 to cut through solid steel at a demolitions range]] |
|||
The British used a plastic explosive during World War II as a demolition charge. The specific explosive, Composition C, was 88.3% RDX and 11.7% non-oily, non-explosive plasticizer. The material was plastic between 0 and 40 degrees C, but was brittle at colder temperatures and gummy at higher temperatures. Composition C was superseded by Composition C2, which used a mixture of 80% RDX and 20% plasticizer. Composition C2 had a wider temperature range at which it remained plastic, from -30 to 52 degrees C. Composition C2 was replaced by Composition C3, which was a mixture of 77% RDX and 23% explosive plasticizer.<ref name="milex">{{cite book|title=Military Explosives|year=1989|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ODYYAAAAYAAJ&pg=SA8-PA109&lpg=SA8-PA109&dq=plasticize+explosive&source=bl&ots=ZIu1LS2qEn&sig=ra7BwoYmHVUYGVdL0ekz4IxH9Mw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi62fXDlcHSAhUB02MKHZb8AC44ChDoAQg5MAs#v=onepage&q=plastic&f=false}}</ref>{{rp|8-109}} C3 was effective but proved to be too brittle in cold weather and was replaced with C4. There are three classes of C4, with varying amounts of RDX and [[polyisobutylene]].<ref name="milex" />{{rp|8-111}} |
|||
==List of plastic explosives== |
==List of plastic explosives== |
||
Line 59: | Line 68: | ||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
{{Sister project links |
|||
<!-- Configuration parameters. Do not leave empty; populate, or remove --> |
|||
|collapsible=collapsed |display=Plastic explosives |
|||
<!-- Specify "no" to exclude the corresponding project: --> |
|||
|wikt=plastic explosive |c=Category:Plastic explosives |commonscat=no |n=no |q=no |s=no |author=no |b=no |v=no |
|||
<!-- Specify "yes" to include the corresponding project: --> |
|||
|voy=no |d=no |m=no |mw=no |species=no |species_author=no |
|||
}} |
|||
*[[Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives]] |
*[[Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives]] |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist|30em}} |
||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plastic Explosive}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plastic Explosive}} |
||
⚫ | |||
[[Category:British inventions]] |
[[Category:British inventions]] |
||
⚫ |