The History of
Explosives...
Created by Herbert Oxendine, CSP www.spin-safety.org
Disclaimer
The information presented in this presentation has been compiled from
sources believed to be reliable and is intended to be a tool to assist and
guide you in building your own presentation. This program may not
address all the hazardous conditions or unsafe acts that may exist. For
that reason, SPIN cautions users to confirm accuracy and compliance
with the latest standards and best practices. Local, State/Provincial
and Federal regulations take precedence over this material.
Implementation of any practices suggested by this program is at your
sole discretion, and SPIN will have no liability to any party for any
damages including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, special or
consequential damages, arising out of or in connection with the
information provided or its use.
Created by Herbert Oxendine, CSP
Black Powder
Saltpeter or “Nitre”
Chinese as early as
the 10th Century
Roger Bacon
published formula in
1242
Berthold Schwartz
invented Gun ~
1300
Created by Herbert Oxendine, CSP
Black Powder
First Powder Mill in Massachusetts in 1675
Americans first blasted with powder around
1773
American Revolution hastened
manufacture of black powder
New frontiers required blasting to build
roads and canals for transporting goods
and people (early 1800s)
Created by Herbert Oxendine, CSP
What is This? Dance Hall?
Baptist Church?
Powder Magazine
Colonial Williamsburg, VA.
How Important was Black Powder?
Guard House Location Storage 10’ Wall
Nitroglycerin and Dynamite
Discovered by Ascanio
Sobrero in 1846
Nobel built factory in
1861
Nobel Patented
Dynamite in 1867
Problems included
fumes, freezing, &
headaches
Dynamite - 750 million pounds
from Dynamis, meaning power manufactured in 1955
Created by Herbert Oxendine, CSP
Ammonium Nitrate
Synthesized in 1659 by J. R.
Glauber
Used for fertilizer and
explosives products
Texas City explosion
ANFO
Pros: Easier to load, cheaper,
and safer than dynamite
Cons: desensitized by water
Over 2.2 Billion pounds
manufactured in 1974
Created by Herbert Oxendine, CSP
Water Gels
Developed in
1940s to solve
the water
problem
Non-
Nitroglycerin
Use increased
with
development of
Pros: economics, loading density, low equipment for
sensitivity, water resistance, no nitro drilling large
Cons: needs sensitizer, not for small holes diameter holes
Created by Herbert Oxendine, CSP
Binary/Two Component
Explosives
Usually consist of Ammonium Nitrate
(sensitizer) and Nitromethane (fuel)
Advantages include:
– not a Class A explosive until mixed
– no danger of fire while in storage
– available in correct type and size
– can deactivate after mixing
– will detonate at minus 140F
Disadvantages include:
– cost
– time required to mix
Created by Herbert Oxendine, CSP
Initiation Devices
Safety Fuse
Fuse Caps
Electric Blasting Caps
Delay Caps
Vented Caps
Composition Caps
Detonating Cord
Nonelectric Delay Caps
Shock Tube
Created by Herbert Oxendine, CSP
As a Safety Professional, SPIN encourages you to submit safety
resources that are particularly beneficial to fellow Safety Professionals.
We welcome your suggestions and thank you for your input. Please use
the following instructions when submitting resources.
1. Please include your full name (first & last) in the subject section of the your email
2. Please include a brief description, name of program and version of any and all files submitted
3. Please use a compression program, like WinZip, when submitting multiple or large files
4 Please include appropriate contact information (name, phone number, etc.) when referring
potential new members
5. Include links to safety related URL's in the description section
6. Please send photos and graphic files as 72 dpi jpg, tif or gif files
submit all items to: info@spin-safety.org
For more information about SPIN visit the web-site at www.spin-safety.org or call 1-800-673-0439
