52 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
52 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
80/20 Amatol.
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Amatol was developed by the British in World War I as a way of conserving
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their meager TNT supplies. It is composed of AN and TNT in varying ratios,
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the most common being 80/20. It is slightly more effecient than TNT when
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used in breaching charges, but since it contains AN it is somewhat hygro-
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scopic and must be well sealed against moisture. It has a detonation vel-
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ocity of 16,000 feet per second, almost twice that of straight AN. It is
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very insensitive, and while this makes it safe to handle (in fact, the
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blocks can be cut up with a hand saw), it can also make it harder to det-
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onate.
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To be on the safe side, a booster should be added. One way to accomplish
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this is to bore a booster well into the cast block using a 3/4-inch wood
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drill bit. Dissolve some of the leftover TNT in hot acetone, pour the res-
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ulting solution into a container of cold water, and stir vigorously. The TNT
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will precipitate out of the liquid in its crystalline form, which is the
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most sensitive type. These crystals are pressed into the booster cavity
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using heavy hand pressure, leaving a hole in which to insert the detonator.
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A standard No.8 blasting cap will initiate the TNT, which in turn will det-
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onate the amatol. If properly packaged, amatol can be stored for long per-
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iods of time with no change in sensitivity, power, or stability.
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As an interesting aside, amatol was used early in World War II, but a
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Canadian TNT plant changed things. Though the company had never manufactured
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TNT before, production was unusually high. When the inspectors went to find
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out why, they found the normal manufacturing process had been reversed.
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Since this "mistake" increased output to more than three times that of any
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other comparably sized plant, all other TNT manufacturers adopted it. So
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much TNT was produced that there was no longer any need for amatol, and it
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was phased out.
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Amatol production is an excellent way of stretching an explosives supply,
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getting more bang for your buck, as it were. It is not as safe to make as
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some other high explosives since it uses molten TNT (very shock-sensitive),
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but it should present no trouble if reasonable care is exercised.
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Procedure:
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1) Heat a kettle containing eight parts finely powdered ammonium nitrate
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to 90<39>C on a water bath. A flour grinder at low speed is adequate for
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powdering the AN. Seal the receiving container immediately after grin-
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ding the AN, as it will absorb moisture from the air.
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2) Heat a second kettle containing two parts TNT on a water bath until
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the TNT is melted.
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3) Pour the TNT into the first kettle containing the AN and stir until
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completely mixed. The amatol will resemble wet brown sugar and have
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a consistent color and texture when properly mixed.
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4) Pour the amatol into block molds or charge containers while it is
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still hot. Use a cover to gently press the surface for maximum density
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and to remove air bubbles. It is important that the blocks are protec-
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ted from dampness or other moisture. Sealing them in plasticbags is a
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good method, as is wrapping them in wax paper and dipping them in wax.
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Be sure to form a cap well before they are sealed.
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