Detonating cord, also called detonation cord, detacord, det. cord, detcord, primer cord, primacord or cordtex, is a thin, flexible tube with an explosive core. It is a high-speed fuse which explodes, rather than burns, and is suitable for detonating high explosives, usually pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN, Pentrite). The velocity of detonation is sufficient to use it for synchronising multiple charges to detonate almost simultaneously even if the charges are placed at different distances from the point of initiation. It is used to reliably and inexpensively chain together multiple explosive charges. Typical uses include mining, drilling, and demolitions. Primacord is a brand of detonating cord used in blasting, manufactured by the Ensign-Bickford Company of Utah. ... Cordtex is a type of detonating cord generally used in mining. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... In an explosive device, a fuse (or fuze) is the part of the device that causes it to function. ... Preparing C-4 explosive This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, also known as Penthrite) is one of the strongest known high explosives, with a relative effectiveness factor (R.E. factor) of 1. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Explosive velocity. ... This article is about mineral extraction. ... A child using an electric drill with a screwdriver bit mounted in the chuck. ... Demolition of the Old Myer Building, Perth, Western Australia. ...

"Cordtex" and "Primacord" are two of many tradenames which have slipped into being used as a generic. Cordtex is a type of detonating cord generally used in mining. ... Primacord is a brand of detonating cord used in blasting, manufactured by the Ensign-Bickford Company of Utah. ... A trade name, also known as a trading name or a business name, is the legal name of a business, or the name which a business trades under for commercial purposes. ... A trademark or trade mark[1] is a distinctive sign of some kind which is used by an individual, business organization or other legal entity to uniquely identify the source of its products and/or services to consumers, and to distinguish its products or services from those of other entities. ...

As a transmission medium, it can act as a downline between the initiator (trigger) and the blast area, and as a trunkline connecting several different explosive charges. As a timing mechanism, detonation cord detonates at a very reliable rate (about 7000 - 8000 m/s), enabling engineers to control the pattern in which charges are detonated. This is particularly useful for demolitions, when structural elements need to be destroyed in a specific order to control the collapse of a building. A US Army 45 Colt. ... A weapons cache is detonated at the East River Range on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Detonation is a process of supersonic combustion that involves a shock wave and a reaction zone behind it. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude, the following list describes various speed levels between 1. ... The metre (or meter, see spelling differences) is a measure of length. ... Look up second in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

While it looks like nylon cord, the core is a compressed powdered explosive, usually PETN (Pentrite), and it is initiated by the use of a blasting cap. Detonation cord will initiate most commercial high explosives (dynamite, gelignite, sensitised gels, etc.) but will not initiate less sensitive blasting agents like ANFO on its own. 25 to 50 grain/foot (5.3 to 10.6 g/m) det cord has approximately the same initiation power as a blasting cap, but along its entire length. A small charge of PETN, TNT, or other explosive explosive booster is required to bridge between the cord and a charge of insensitive blasting agent like ANFO or most water gels. The Finnish army colloquialism is anopin pyykkinaru (mother-in-law's clothesline) as it resembles ordinary clothesline. Preparing C-4 explosive This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, also known as Penthrite) is one of the strongest known high explosives, with a relative effectiveness factor (R.E. factor) of 1. ... Class B blasting caps A blasting cap is a small explosive device generally used to detonate a larger, more powerful explosive such as dynamite. ... Dynamite is an explosive based on the explosive potential of nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth (Kieselguhr) as an adsorbent. ... Gelignite, also known as Blasting gelatin, is an explosive material consisting of collodion-cotton (a type of nitrocellulose or gun cotton) dissolved in nitroglycerine and mixed with wood pulp and sodium or potassium nitrate. ... ANFO stands for ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (most often diesel fuel, sometimes kerosene or even molasses). ... An explosive booster acts as a bridge between a low energy explosive and a low sensitivity (but typically high energy) explosive. ...

Rating

Detonating cord is rated in explosive mass per unit length. This is expressed in grains per foot in the United States, or in grams per metre elsewhere. A "grams per metre" rating will be roughly one fifth the "grains per foot" rating. For example, "50 grain det. cord" refers to detonating cord which has 50 grains of explosive (about 1/70th of a stick of dynamite) per foot of length — or approximately 10 g/m. This is a typical "default" rating for connecting charges for blasting; lighter detonating cords may be used for "low noise blasting" and movie special effects, while heavier cords are used where the cord is employed to have some direct explosive effect- such as for precision rock carving work- may use 50 to 250 grain/foot (10 to 50 g/m) detonating cord.,^[1] A grain is a unit of mass equal to 0. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... The metre (or meter, see spelling differences) is a measure of length. ... Groundbreaking special effects were used in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Special effects (abbreviated SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to realize scenes that cannot be achieved by live action or normal means. ...

Direct employment

Low-yield detonating cord can be used as a precision cutting charge to remove cables, pipes, wiring, fiber optics, and other utility bundles by placing one or more complete wraps around the target. Higher-yield detonating cord can be used to cut down small trees, although the process is very uneconomical compared to using bulk explosive, or even a chainsaw. High-yield detonating cord placed by divers has been used to remove old dock pilings and other underwater obstructions. Creating a slipknot from detonating cord yields a field improvised device that can be quickly employed to cut a locked doorknob off a door. Anything much more substantial than these uses requires the use of additional explosives.

Unconventional use

The factual accuracy of part of this article is disputed.

The dispute is about some of the unconventional uses.

Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.

Detonating cord has also been used for these purposes:- Image File history File links Circle-question-red. ...

• Constructing boobytraps
• Felling trees by coiling several rounds of detonating cord around them
• In ambush zones to eliminate enemy taking cover in roadside ditches, bushes, etc.
• In canopy fracturing systems in high performance aircraft
• To clear brush to effectively stop the progression of forest fires.
• Recent patents indicate the use of detonating cord in the process of deslagging coal fired power plants.
• For environmental purposes to remove nonindigenous species of fish from bodies of water; it kills all the fish, and the lake is then restocked.
• Det cord is commonly used to increase the production of water and petroleum wells.
• Expanding tubing in nuclear reactors
• Clearing landmines
• Sculpting large monuments such as Crazy Horse in South Dakota
• Separating sections of rockets, etc.