A polymer-bonded explosive, also called PBX or plastic-bonded explosive, is an explosive material in which particles of explosive are set into a matrix of a synthetic polymer ("plastic"). Polymer-bonded explosives have several potential advantages:
If the polymer matrix is an elastomer (rubbery material), it tends to absorb shocks, making the PBX very insensitive to accidental detonation;
Hard polymers can produce PBX that is very rigid, and maintains a precise engineering shape even under severe stress; and
PBX can be cast into a particular shape as a liquid at room temperature, when casting normally requires hazardous melting of the explosive.
A plastic bondedexplosive composition consisting essentially of 10% to 87% by weight of a hexanitro-stilbene, 9% to 30% of a binder which is a lauryl methacrylate polymer or copolymer 0 to 20% of aluminum powder and 0 to 60% of potassium perchlorate.
A plastic bondedexplosive composition consisting essentially of a self-explosive which is 2,2',4,4',6,6'-hexanitrostilbene and a binder which is a polymer of an alkyl methacrylate wherein the alkyl group has 10 to 20 carbon atoms.
A plastic bondedexplosive composition consisting essentially of a self-explosive which is 2,6-bis-(picrylamino)-3,5-dinitrobenzene and a binder which is a polymer of an alkyl methacrylate wherein the alkyl group has 10 to 20 carbon atoms.
Plastic explosives are especially suited for explosive demolition 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.
One of the earliest plastic explosives was Nobel 808, developed well before World War II and used extensively by British SOE forces during that war.
The samples of explosive brought to the USA by the Tizard Mission had been packaged by SOE ready for dropping to the French Resistance and were labelled in French, as Explosif Plastique.
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