Towards Safer Primers: A Review

Abstract

Primers are used to reliably initiate a secondary explosive in a wide range of industrial and defence applications. However, established primer technologies pose both direct and indirect risks to health and safety. This review analyses a new generation of primer materials and ignition control mechanisms that have been developed to address these risks in firearms. Electrically or optically initiated metal, oxide and semiconductor-based devices show promise as alternatives for heavy metal percussive primers. The prospects for wider use of low-cost, safe, reliable and non-toxic primers are discussed in view of these developments.

Synthesis and Energetic Properties of Trending Metal‐Free Potential Green Primary Explosives: A Review

“…Review doi.org/10.1002/slct.202200017 compound must be easy to handle, safe to synthesize, long term storage, insensitive to humidity and light, stable chemical structure, thermally stable up to 180 °C, better density, enhanced detonation properties, and free from toxic metals. [20] The latest advances in metal-free green primary explosives since 2014 are reported in this summary. Metal-free green primary explosive consists of two parts (i) backbone such as aliphatic, cyclic, heterocyclic, and aromatic frameworks (ii) and energetic groups (N 2 , N 3 , NF 2 , N-oxide, NO 2 , ONO 2 , C(NO 2 ) 2 H, NHNO 2 , C(NO 2 ) 3 , etc.)…”

“…In the past, many primary explosives were synthesized and reported, but they were relatively weaker than that of LA [19] . To fulfill the criterion of the green primary explosives, the compound must be easy to handle, safe to synthesize, long term storage, insensitive to humidity and light, stable chemical structure, thermally stable up to 180 °C, better density, enhanced detonation properties, and free from toxic metals [20] . The latest advances in metal‐free green primary explosives since 2014 are reported in this summary.…”

“…Growing anxieties over lead contamination in the soil and air, the researcher's major keen concern is synthesizing lead‐free substitutes. Greener, stronger, and safer are the important keywords for designing novel explosives for military and civil purposes [20] . A number of potassium‐based energetic salt have been reported, i. e., dipotassium 1,1’‐dinitramino‐5,5’‐bistetrazolate (K 2 DNABT), [30] dipotassium 3,4‐bis(3‐dinitromethylfurazan‐4‐oxy)furazan (K 2 BDFOF), [6] dipotassium 1,5‐dinitramino(tetrazolate) (K 2 DNAT) [31] etc .…”

“…Greener, stronger, and safer are the important keywords for designing novel explosives for military and civil purposes. [20] A number of potassium-based energetic salt have been reported, i. e., dipotassium 1,1'-dinitramino-5,5'-bistetrazolate (K 2 DNABT), [30] dipotassium 3,4-bis(3-dinitromethylfurazan-4-oxy)furazan (K 2 BDFOF), [6] dipotassium 1,5-dinitramino(tetrazolate) (K 2 DNAT) [31] etc. (Figure 4) are enlisted as green primary explosives (Table 2).…”

Comparative Studies of Synthesis, Performance, and Applications of Recently Developed CL-20 Based Co-crystals

“…The area of EMs and the advancement of modern synthetic chemistry are closely related. Over the course of the last few decades, many scholars have focused on and contributed to the rapid growth of EMs. , Thus, with synthesis, researchers are also paying attention to the modifications of commonly used EMs. This includes the morphological control, composition or coating, and ultrafining of the EMs.…”