Explosions

• what is a thermal explosion?

  A very rapid reaction arising from an increase in reaction rate with increasing temperature
• What does a rising system temperature mean?

  Energy that is released by an exothermic reaction cannot escape and the reaction goes faster
• When does chain branching explosion occur?

  when the number of chain centres grows exponentially
• What is the state reaction?

  The concentration of a third body influences the rate that radicals react with to produce relatively unreactive radicals that diffuse to walls and are remove from the system
• What is the termination?

  Reaction can complete with the propagation and branching reaction and the reaction runs smoothly. Radicals have time to reach the walls of the container where they combine and are removed from the system
• what are the two types of explosives?

  low explosives and high explosives
• what are low explosives?

  tend to deflagrate, rather than detonate which means they burn at a slower rate and create less pressure than high explosive. Used for propellants
• what are high explosives?

  Create more pressure and burn more quickly, detonatinf almost instantaneously
• What are types of common explosive?

  TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene)

  RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine)
• What is the Lindemann-Hinshelwood mechanism?

  This mechanism was developed to describe the observed concentration dependence in gas-phase unimolecular dissociation and isomerisation reaction of form: Low [A] (second-order behaviour), first-order behaviour
• What is autocatalysis?


  at least one of the product acts as a catalyst for same or a couple reaction