Commercial and Military Explosives

Modern explosives used in commercial and military applications are formulated for a specified purpose. Whether that purpose is the controlled detonation of a rock face in large scale commercial mining operations or in military applications whereby high detonation pressures associated with polymer bonded explosives are used to maximize the damage inflicted on hardened targets. This article explores the history of use of explosives in civilian and military applications before outlining the reasoning behind the development of specific explosive compositions that are used routinely today.