Explosives
Propellants, High Explosives and Pyrotechnics

Explosives are substances that can decompose in a detonation regime. This results in the most significant effects .

Some explosives can only decompose under detonation conditions. Extremely sensitive, these products are used in very small quantities in detonators, enabling them to initiate detonation. They are referred to as primaries.

In contrast, other explosives are referred to as secondary. Less sensitive, they are handled in large quantities, up to a ton. Their compositions vary widely, depending...