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Return to Terminology
C
-
- C
- Tamping Factor.
- C4
- Composition C4.
- CAD
- 1) Abbreviation for Cartridge Actuated Devices; lately the
term Propellant Activated
Devices (PAD) has also been used.
- 2) Abbreviation for computer aided design.
- Calcium
- Calcium (Ca), metallic element, first isolated in 1808 by Sir
Humphrey Davy. It is a silver-white, soft, malleable Alkaline-Earth
Metal. The fifth most abundant element (3.64%) of the earth's crust, it is not
found uncombined but occurs in numerous compounds, e.g., Apatite, Calcite, Dolomite,
Iceland Spar, Limestone, and Marble. Calcium acts as a reducing agent in the preparation
of other metals. It occurs in most plant and animal matter, and is essential for the
formation and maintenance of strong bones and teeth. Calcium helps to regulate the
heartbeat and is necessary for blood clotting. Element; Periodic Table.
- Calculus
- A branch of mathematics that studies continuously changing
quantities. It was developed in the 17th century independently by Sir Isaac Newton and G.W. Leibniz. The calculus is characterized by the use
of infinite processes, involving passage to a Limit. The
differential calculus arises from the study of the rate at which a function, usually
symbolized by y or f(x), changes relative to a change in the independent variable, usually
x. This relative rate can be computed from a new function—the derivative of y with
respect to x, denoted by dy/dx, y´, or f´(x)—arrived at by a process called
differentiation. Formulas have been developed for the derivatives of all commonly
encountered functions. For example, if y = xn for any real number n except -1, then y´ =
nxn-1, and if y = sin x, then y´ = cos x. In physical applications, the independent
variable is frequently time, e.g., if s = f(t) expresses the relation between the distance
s traveled and the time t elapsed, then s´ = f´(t) represents the rate of change of
distance with time, i.e., the speed or velocity ( Motion) at
time t. Geometrically, the derivative is interpreted as the slope of the line tangent to a
curve at a point. This view of the derivative yields applications, e.g., in the design of
optical mirrors and lenses and the
determination of projectile paths. The integral calculus arises from the study of the
limit of a sum of elements when the number of such elements increases without bound while
the size of the elements diminishes. Conventionally, the area A under the curve y = f(x)
between the two values x = a and x = b is symbolized by A = baf(x)dx, called the definite
integral of f(x) from a to b. The area is approximated by summing the products of f(x) and
dx for each of the infinitely small distances (dx) that comprise the measurable distance
between a and b. This method can be used to determine the lengths of curves, the areas
bounded by curves, and the volumes of solids bounded by curved surfaces. The connection
between the integral and the derivative is known as the Fundamental Theorem of the
Calculus, which, in symbols, is baf(x)dx = F(b) - F(a), where F(x) is a function whose
derivative is f(x). The calculus has been developed to treat functions not only of a
single variable but also of several variables and is the foundation for the larger branch
of mathematics known as Analysis.
- Caliber
- 1) Diameter of the bore of a gun. In rifled gun bores, the
caliber is obtained by measuring between opposite lands. A caliber .45 revolver has a
barrel with a land diameter 45/100 of an inch.
- 2) Diameter of a projectile.
- 3) Unit of measure used to express the length of the bore of a
weapon. The number of calibers is determined by dividing the length of the bore of the
weapon, from the breech face of the tube to the muzzle, by the diameter of its bore. A gun
tube whose bore is 40 feet (480 inches) long and 12 inches in diameter is said to be 40
calibers long.
- Calorie
- A calorie (cal) is a unit of energy required to raise the
temperature of one gram of water one degree Centigrade (from 14.5° to 15.5°C); 1 cal =
4.1840 joules. Nutritionists use the kilocalorie (1,000 cal) to state the heat content of
food.
- Calorimeter
- A device for measuring heat of combustion (under compressed
oxygen) or heat of explosion (under an inert gas such as argon); the latter is used for
propellants, explosives and pyrochemical mixtures which react without outside oxygen, not
to be mistaken for colorimeter, an apparatus to measure color.
- Canister
- 1) Metal cylinder containing metal fragments which are
scattered when cylinder breaks.
- 2) Cylinder containing materials for special terminal effects,
such as smoke, propaganda leaflets, chaff, etc.
- Canister Ammunition
- Shell containing preformed metal fragments which are dispersed
by the centrifugal force caused by the shell's rotation.
- Cannelure
- 1) A ring-like groove in the jacket of a bullet which provides
a means of securely crimping the cartridge case to the bullet; analogous to the crimping
groove in artillery ammunition.
- 2) Ring-like groove for locking the jacket of an
armor-piercing bullet to the core.
- 3) Ring-like groove in the rotating band of a projectile,
intended to lessen the resistance offered to the gun riflings.
- 4) Groove around the base of the cartridge case, where the
extractor takes hold.
- Cannon
- 1) Fixed or mobile weapon, larger than small arms, that ejects
its projectile by the action of an explosive. Cannon includes guns, howitzers and
breech-loading mortars.
- 2) That portion of such weapon required to fire a projectile
(that is, tube, breech mechanism and firing mechanism), as contrasted to that portion
which supports the weapon and which is called the carriage or mount.
- Cant
- A leaning or tilt, to one side, of any object, militarily, the
widewise tilting of a gun.
- Cap
- 1) Detonator, Blasting Cap.
- 2) Nosepiece on a projectile.
- Cap Crimper
- A mechanical device for crimping the metallic shell of a fuse
detonator or igniter cord connector securely to a section of inserted safety fuse.
- Cap Sensitivity
- The sensitivity of an explosive to initiation by a detonator.
An explosive material is considered to be cap sensitive if it detonates with an IME No. 8
Test Detonator.
- Cap Type
- Commercial detonator types may also be abbreviated in
describing the particular type of detonator:
- I Instantaneous FCA Fuse / Cap Assembly
- SP Short Period LP Long Period
- N Nonel (shock tube) EBW Exploding Bridge Wire
- Capacitance
- In electricity, the capability of a body, a system, or an Electric Circuit for storing electric charge. Capacitance, in
units of farads, is expressed as the ratio of stored charge in coulombs to the applied
potential difference in volts. In electric circuits, devices designed to store charge are
called Capacitors. When alternating current flows through
a capacitor, the capacitor produces a reactance, inversely proportional to the
capacitance, that resists the current flow ( Impedance).
- Capacitor
- Capacitor or condenser, a device for storing electric charge.
Simple capacitors usually consist of two plates made of an electrically conducting
material (e.g., a metal) separated by a nonconducting material (e.g., glass, paraffin,
mica, oil, or air). If an electric Potential (voltage) is
applied to the capacitor plates, the plates will become charged, one positively and one
negatively. If the externally applied voltage is then removed, the capacitor plates remain
charged, and the electric charge induces an electric potential between the two plates.
This phenomenon is called electrostatic Induction. The
capacity of the device for storing electric charge (i.e., its capacitance) can be
increased by increasing the area of the plates, by decreasing their separation, or by
varying the substance used as an insulator. The Dielectric
constant is a measure of the increase in capacitance due to a particular insulator used to
separate the plates. The Leyden jar, a form of capacitor invented at the University of
Leiden in the 18th century, consists of a narrow-necked glass jar coated on part of its
inner and outer surfaces with conductive metal foil.
- Capacitor-Discharge Blasting Machine
- A blasting machine in which electrical energy, stored on a
capacitor, is discharged into a blasting circuit containing electric detonators.
- Capillarity
- Capillarity or capillary action, phenomenon in which the
surface of a liquid is elevated or depressed when it comes in contact with a solid. The
result depends on the outcome of two opposing forces, Adhesion
and Cohesion. Adhesion between glass and water causes the
water to rise along a glass wall until this force is balanced by the cohesive force acting
to minimize the liquid's surface area ( Surface Tension).
When adhesion is less than cohesion, as with glass and mercury, the surface is lowered.
The upward flow of water in soil and in plants is partially caused by capillarity.
- Capped Fuse
- Safety fuse to which a plain detonator has been crimped.
- Carbon
- Carbon is a nonmetallic element, known since ancient times.
Pure carbon forms are amorphous carbon (found in such sources as Charcoal,
Coal, Coke, Lignite,
and Peat) and the crystals Graphite,
a very soft, dark-gray or black, lustrous material, and Diamond,
the hardest substance known. Organic Chemistry is the study of
carbon compounds. All living organisms contain carbon. Carbon has seven isotopes;
carbon-12 is the basis for Atomic Weights; carbon-14, with a
half-life of 5,730 years, is used to trace chemical reactions and to date geologic and
archaeological specimens ( Dating). Carbon
Dioxide; Carbon Monoxide; Element;
Periodic Table.
- Carbon Dioxide
- Carbon dioxide (CO2), chemical compound, occurring as a
colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about 1 1/2 times as dense as air under
ordinary conditions. It does not burn and will not support combustion of ordinary
materials. Its weakly acidic aqueous solution is called Carbonic Acid. The gas,
easily liquefied by compression and cooling, provides the sparkle in carbonated beverages.
Solid carbon dioxide, or dry ice, is a refrigerant. Dough rises because of carbon dioxide
formed by the action of yeast and baking powder. Carbon dioxide is a raw material for
photosynthesis in green plants, and is a product of animal respiration and of the decay of
organic matter. Carbon dioxide occurs both free and combined in nature, and makes up about
1% of the volume of dry air. It can cause death by suffocation if inhaled in large
amounts.
- Carbon Monoxide
- Carbon monoxide, chemical compound (CO), colorless, odorless,
tasteless, extremely poisonous gas that is less dense than air under ordinary conditions.
It burns in air with a characteristic blue flame, producing carbon dioxide. It is a
component of the artificial fuels producer gas and water gas. As a reducing agent, it
removes oxygen from many compounds and is used in the reduction of metals from ores. When
air containing as little as 0.1% carbon monoxide by volume is inhaled, the oxygen of
hemoglobin is replaced by the carbon monoxide, resulting in fatal oxygen starvation
throughout the body.
- Cartridge
- 1) A preformed unit of high explosive wrapped to a
predetermined diameter and length; a plug; stick of dynamite; a soft plastic
stick of AN/FO or slurry.
- 2) Round of ammunition wherein the propellant and primer are
contained in a casing and in which the propellant, primer and projectile are assembled,
stored, shipped and issued as a complete unit.
- Cartridge Bag
- Cloth bag holding the propelling charge for some types of
cannon.
- Cartridge Base
- Container that holds the primer and propellant and to which
the projectile may be affixed.
- Cartridge Density
- 1) In industrial explosives, the ratio between the weight of
an explosive cartridge and its volume. Loading Density.
- 2) Some manufacturers indirectly give the cartridge density on
the package by stating the number of standard 1 1/4 x 8” cartridges contained in a
50-pound case.
- 3) The relationship is given in the following table: Material
Being Added
- Cartridge Strength
- Bulk Strength.
- Case
- An outer substantial shipping container meeting DOT
specifications for explosive materials.
- Case Insert
- A set of printed, precautionary instructions, including the
IME Do’s and Don’ts, which is inserted into a case of explosive materials.
- Case Liner
- A Plastic or paper barrier used
to prevent the escape of explosive materials from a case.
- Case-Bond Grain
- A solid propellant grain which is cast in place in the
surrounding rocket case.
- Cast Loading
- Loading HE shell by the pouring of molten high-explosive
filler into the shell body.
- Cast, Extrude, or Pressed Booster
- A cast, extruded, or pressed solid high explosive used to
detonate less sensitive explosive materials.
- Catalyst
- A substance which, in small amounts, influences a chemical
reaction without chemically changing it. A substance that causes a change in the rate of a
chemical reaction without itself being consumed by the reaction. Catalysts, which work by
changing a reaction's activation energy, or minimum energy needed for the reaction to
occur, are used in numerous industrial processes. Substances that increase the reaction
rate are called positive catalysts, or simply catalysts, whereas substances that decrease
the reaction rate are called negative catalysts, or inhibitors. The presence of a small
amount of an acid or base may catalyze some reactions. Finely divided metals (e.g.,
platinum, copper, iron, palladium, rhodium) or metal oxides (e.g., silicon dioxide,
vanadium oxide) may also serve as catalysts. Biological catalysts are called Enzymes.
- Catapult
- A device designed for emergency ejection of personnel from
aircraft.
- Categorization
- To put into any of several fundamental and distinct classes to
which entities or concepts belong; a division within a system of classification.
- Cathode
- The negative pole of a direct current device. Opposite Anode. (adj.: cathodic).
- Cathode-Ray Tube
- Cathode-ray tube, Electron Tube
in which electrons are accelerated by high-voltage anodes, formed into a beam by focusing Electrodes, and projected toward a phosphorescent screen that
forms the face of the tube. The electron beam leaves a bright spot wherever it strikes the
screen. To form the screen display, or image, the electron beam is deflected in the
vertical and horizontal directions either by the electrostatic effect of electrodes within
the tube or by magnetic fields produced by coils located around the neck of the tube. Some
cathode-ray tubes, made for computer terminals Oscilloscopes,
and Television receivers, can produce multiple beams of
electrons and have phosphor screens that can display more than one color. Radar.
- Cavalry
- Cavalry defines mounted troops trained to fight from
horseback. In use since the time of the ancient Hittites, horsemen remained at a
disadvantage against well-disciplined Infantry until the
introduction (4th century AD) of the saddle. In medieval Europe the mounted knight became
the typical warrior. Despite the invention of Small Arms,
cavalry remained important in warfare until the end of the 19th century The elite of the
fighting forces in Europe, it was often recruited from the nobility and landed gentry. On
the African, U.S., and British Indian frontiers the cavalry's mobility was essential
against the lightly armed natives, but its value was drastically diminished by the
development of rapid-fire rifles and machine guns. It was ultimately superseded by mobile Tank units in World War II.
- Cavity Charge
- Shaped Charge.
- Celestial Mechanics
- Celestial mechanics is the study of the motions of
astronomical bodies as they move under the influence of their mutual Gravitation.
The calculation of such motions is complicated because many separate forces are acting at
once and all bodies are moving simultaneously. Celestial mechanics is based on Isaac Newton’s Laws of motion and theory of universal gravitation.
Only the problem of two isolated moving bodies mutually attracted by gravitation can be
solved exactly. Because the sun is the dominant influence in the solar system, an
application of the two-body problem leads to the simple elliptical Orbits
as described by Keplers Laws, which give a close approximation
of planetary motion. Problems that consider the additional effects, or perturbations, of
other less dominant bodies (such as the other planets in the solar system) cannot be
solved exactly except in a few special cases. Methods have been devised, however, to allow
successive refinements of an approximate solution to be made to almost any degree of
precision.
- Cell
- In electricity, a device that operates by converting chemical
energy into electrical energy. A cell consists of two dissimilar substances, a positive Electrode and a negative electrode, and a third substance, the Electrolyte, that acts chemically on the electrodes. A group
of cells connected together is called a battery. The Electromotive Force,
or voltage produced between the positive and negative electrodes, depends on the chemical
properties of the substances used but not on the size of the electrodes or the amount of
electrolyte. When the electrodes are connected externally by a piece of wire, electrons
flow from the negative electrode, through the wire, and into the positive electrode. There
are several kinds of cells, differing in electrode material and electrolyte. The
Leclanché cell has a zinc negative electrode, a carbon positive electrode, and an
electrolyte consisting of ammonium chloride solution. It is the basis of the common dry
cell, so called because the electrolyte is in the form of a paste instead of a liquid. An
alkaline dry cell, which can operate up to ten times longer than common dry cells, has a
zinc negative electrode, a manganese dioxide positive electrode, and an electrolyte of
potassium hydroxide. A mercury dry cell, with a zinc negative electrode, a mercuric oxide
positive electrode, and a potassium hydroxide electrolyte, has a constant output voltage
and may be stored for many years.
- Center Of Burst
- Point in the air about which the bursts of several
projectiles, from rounds fired under like conditions, are evenly distributed.
- Center Of Burst Error
- Distance between the target and center of burst.
- Center Of Dispersion
- Theoretical center of hits or bursts that would have been made
if an unlimited number of shots had been fired with the same data. Actually it has to be
considered the center of impact or bursts of all shots already fired.
- Cesium
- Cesium (Cs), metallic element, discovered by spectroscopy in
1860 by Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff. Ductile, soft as wax, and silver-white, it is
the most alkaline element ( Alkali Metals) and the most
reactive metal. Cesium metal is used in photoelectric cells and various optical
instruments; cesium compounds, in glass and ceramic production. The cesium-137 radioactive
isotope is used to treat cancer. Element; Periodic Table.
- C.F.D. (Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling.)
- A method of projecting and / or analyzing the outcome of a
high energy event utilizing special, computer codes.
- Chaff
- Electromagnetic-wave reflectors in the form of narrow metallic
strips, used for creating echoes with which to confuse the enemy. ( Ropeand
Window.)
- Chaff Shell
- Hollow projectile containing a filler of chaff. Chaff.
- Chamber
- Part of a gun in which the charge is placed, in a cannon, that
space between the obturator or breechlock and the forcing cone. Nominally it is the space
occupied by the cartridge case.
- Chamber Capacity
- Space available for gas expansion when the projectile is
seated in position; measured from the face of the closed breech block, around the base of
the projectile, to the rear of the rotating band (or obturator). In fixed ammunition, it
is the volume of the cartridge case behind the projectile.
- Chapman-Jouget plane
- The C-J plane may be described simply as that
“point” along a confined cylindrical column of explosives at which the
detonation shock wave reaction is complete; and from which point onwards a permanent
steady-state reaction (detonation) continues.
- Charcoal
- A nonvolatile residue obtained when organic matter, usually
wood, is heated in the absence of air. Largely pure Carbon,
charcoal yields more heat per volume than wood. Charcoal obtained from bones is called
bone black or animal charcoal. Finely divided charcoal, with its porous structure,
efficiently filters the absorption of gases and of solids from solution. Charcoal is used
in sugar refining and in water and air purification.
- Charge
- A given quantity of explosive.
- Charge Weight
- Ratio In rocket technology, the ratio of the weight of
propellant to the total weight.
- Chemical Agent
- Solid, liquid or gas whose chemical properties produce lethal,
injurious or irritant effects; a screening or colored smoke or an incendiary agent. (War
gases, smokes and incendiaries are the three main groups.)
- Choking Gas
- Casualty producing gas which causes irritation and
inflammation of the bronchial tubes and lungs. Phosgene is an example of this type of gas.
- Chord
- Straight line parallel to the centerline of the projectile
from the leading edge to the trailing edge of a fin; the length of that line.
- Chronograph
- Instrument for measuring and graphically recording small
intervals of time; frequently used for measuring velocity of projectiles.
- Chuffing
- Intermittent or irregular burning in a solid propellant rocket
motor with corresponding low frequency pressure oscillations.
- Chugging
- An irregular combustion of liquid fuels in a rocket engine
with corresponding low frequency pressure oscillations.
- Cigarette Burning
- In inhibited solid propellants, burning from one end only so
the burning progresses in the direction of the longitudinal axis.
- Class
- Classification.
- Classification
- The systematic arrangement in groups based on the
load-carrying capacity of bridges.
- Classification Of Defects
- Factor introduced into the ballistic coefficient of a
projectile, based on its shape.
- Closed Bomb
- A fixed volume chamber used for testing the pressure-time
characteristics of cartridges or combustible materials.
- Coal
- A fuel substance of plant origin, composed largely of Carbon with varying amounts of mineral matter. Coal belongs to a
series of carbonaceous fuels that differ in the relative amounts of moisture, volatile
matter, and fixed carbon they contain; the most useful contain the largest amounts of
carbon and the smallest amounts of moisture and volatile matter. The highest grade of coal
is anthracite, or hard coal, which is nearly pure carbon and is used as a domestic fuel.
Bituminous coal, or soft coal, with a lower carbon content, is used as an industrial fuel
and in making Coke. Lignite and Peat are the lowest in carbon content. Large amounts of coal were
formed in the Carboniferous period of geological time (345 to 280 million years ago). It
is thought that great quantities of vegetable matter collected and underwent slow
decomposition in swamps similar to present-day peat bogs and in lagoons. The peat that
formed was converted to lignite and coal by metamorphism. The pressure of accumulated
layers of overlying sediment and rock forced out much of the volatile matter, leaving beds
or seams of compact coal interstratified with shales, clays, or sandstones. Higher grades
of coal were produced where the stress was greatest. Major U.S. coal fields are found in
Appalachia, the Midwest, the Rocky Mt. region, and along the Gulf Coast. The chief
coal-producing countries of Europe are Germany, Britain, the USSR, Poland, France, and
Belgium. Valuable coal deposits also exist in China, India, South Africa, and Australia.
- Coefficient Of Form
- Factor introduced into the ballistic coefficient of a
projectile, based on its shape.
- Coenzyme
- A coenzyme is any of a group of relatively small organic
molecules that assist certain Enzymes in their catalytic
functions. Coenzymes participate in chemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes; although
often structurally altered in the course of the reaction, the coenzymes are always
restored to their original form. Important coenzymes include adenosine triphosphate,
important in the transfer of chemical energy, and vitamins, vital to a variety of
biochemical reactions in the body, including the Krebs cycle.
- Cohesion
- Adhesion and cohesion, attractive forces between material
bodies. Adhesive forces act between different substances, whereas cohesive forces act
within a single substance, holding its atoms, ions, or molecules together. Without these
forces, solids and liquids would act as gases. Surface Tension
in liquids results from cohesion, and Capillarity
results from a combination of adhesion and cohesion. Friction
between two solid bodies depends in part on adhesion.
- Coke
- A hard, gray, porous fuel with a high Carbon
content. It is the residue left when bituminous Coal is heated
in the absence of air. Coke is used in extracting metals from ores in the blast furnace.
- Colored Marker Shell
- Projectile containing a colored dye which is ejected by a
burster charge; used for spotting, marking and signaling.
- Colored Smoke
- An aerosol of special dyestuffs dispersed by pyrotechnical
reaction by explosion. Used for signaling and spotting.
- Column Length
- The length of a propellant or pyrotechnic composition.
- Combustion
- 1)An exothermic chemical reaction which liberates heat and
usually produces high temperature gases and light.
- 2) Any oxidation reaction, including those produced by
introduction of atmospheric oxygen; many explosives are capable of burning without
detonation if unconfined. Moreover, the oxidation reaction taking place in propellants
without introduction of oxygen is also designated as combustion: it is preferable to
denote this process as burning ( Burning Rate; Deflagration).
- Command Post
- 1) Temporary location of issuing field commands locally.
- 2) Location where the demolition guard can best control the
defense of the demolition target from the friendly side.
- Commercial Explosives
- Explosives designed, produced, and used for commercial or
industrial applications other than for military purposes.
- Common Series
- Circuit Used to connect two or more electric blasting caps to
a single blasting machine.
- Communications Satellite
- An artificial Satellite that
provides a worldwide linkup of Radio and Television transmissions and Telephone
service; such a satellite avoids the curvature-of-the-earth limitation formerly placed on
communications between ground-based facilities. The first communications satellite was
NASA's Echo 1, an uninstrumented inflatable sphere that passively reflected radio signals
back to earth. The U.S. launching (1963) of the first synchronous-orbit satellite (Syncom
1) paved the way for the formation of the International Telecommunications Satellite
Organization, whose successive series of Intelsat geostationary satellites have steadily
lowered the cost of transoceanic communications. Domestic communications satellite
systems, also geostationary, have been developed by Canada; the USSR; Indonesia. Military
satellite systems have been developed by the U.S. and NATO.
- Compatibility
- Ability of materials to be stored intimately without chemical
reaction occurring. Incompatibility may result in a loss of effectiveness or may be very
hazardous. For example, Chlorate Explosives and Ammonium Nitrate Explosives are not
compatible (formation of self-decomposing ammonium chlorate). For compatibility testing Vacuum Test .
- Complete Penetration
- 1) In the U.S. Army, penetration obtained when the projectile
in the target or light through the target can be seen from the rear of the target.
- 2) In the U.S. Navy, penetration obtained when the projectile
passes through the target intact or a major portion of the projectile passes through.
- Complete Round
- 1) A complete round of separate-loading artillery ammunition
consists of a primer, propelling charge and (except for blank ammunition) a projectile.
- 2) A complete round of fixed or semi-fixed ammunition
comprises a primer, propelling charge, cartridge case and a projectile.
- Composition
- Specifically, a castable or moldable explosive such as
Composition B. Composition C=.; also a pyrotechnic mixture. A composition may be
compounded (by mixing) but the term, a compound, is better reserved to chemical
individuals. "Mix" as a noun, is a vulgarism which should not be employed in
lieu of "mixture" of composition.
- Composition A; A-2; A-3 Pressed charges made of
phlegmatized Cyclonite (RDX)
differing from each other only by the various kinds of wax they contain. Detonation
velocity, confined: 8,100 m/s = 26,600 ft/s at r = 1.71 g/cm3.
- Composition B; B-2 Hexolite;
Hexotol Castable mixtures of Cyclonite (RDX) and TNT in the proportion of 60 : 40;
some of them contain wax as an additive. They are used as fillings for bombs, mines and Hollow (Shaped) Charges.
- density: about 1.65 g/cm3)
- detonation velocity, confined: 7800 m/s = 25600 ft/s at r =
1.65 g/cm3
- Composition C; C-2; C-3; C-4 Military
plastic explosive, consisting of Cyclonite
(RDX) and a plasticizer, which itself may or may not be explosive.
The respective formulations are:
| Composition |
RDX % |
Plasticizer % |
Type |
| C |
88.3 |
11.7 |
non-explosive |
| C-2 |
80.0 |
20.0 |
explosive |
| C-3 |
78.0 |
22.0 |
explosive |
| C-4 |
91.0 |
19.0 |
polyisobutylene |
- Composition C4
- A composite explosive containing approximately 91% RDX and 9%
non-explosive plasticizer. C4 is effective in temperatures between -70 and + 170 degrees
Fahrenheit, but loses its plasticity in colder temperatures.
- Compound
- Compound, in chemistry, a substance composed of Atoms of two or more Elements in
chemical combination, occurring in fixed, definite proportion and arranged in fixed,
definite structures. A compound has unique properties that are distinct from the
properties of its elemental constituents and of all other compounds. A compound differs
from a mixture in that the components of a mixture retain their own properties and may be
present in many different proportions. The components of a mixture are not chemically
combined; they can be separated by physical means. A molecular compound, e.g., water, is
made up of electrically neutral Molecules, each containing a
fixed number of atoms. An ionic compound, e.g., sodium chloride, is made up of
electrically charged Ions that are present in fixed proportions
and are arranged in a regular, geometric pattern called crystalline structure but are not
grouped into molecules.
- Computed Maximum Pressure
- For any type of gun, the theoretical value of maximum pressure
computed by interior ballistics formulas. When a new gun of the type in question is fired
under standard conditions, with a propelling charge that will give a projectile its rated
muzzle velocity, this is the pressure which should be developed.
- Concentration
- In chemistry, measure of the relative proportions of two or
more quantities in a mixture (compound). Concentrations may
be expressed in a number of ways. The simplest is in terms of a component's percentage by
weight or volume. Mixtures of solids or liquids are frequently specified by
weight-percentage concentrations, whereas mixtures of gases are usually specified by
volume percentages. Very low concentrations, such as those of various substances in the
atmosphere, are expressed in parts per million (ppm). The molarity of a solution is
the number of molesof solute per liter of solution. The
molality of a solution is the number of moles of solute per 1,000 grams of solvent. The
mole fraction of a solution is the ratio of moles of solute to the total number of moles
in the solution.
- Concrete-Stripping Charge
- Bulk, surface-placed charges designed to remove concrete from
reinforced-concrete beams and slabs, exposing steel reinforcement.
- Conduction
- Conduction is the transfer of Heat
or Electricity through a substance, resulting from a
difference in temperature between different parts of the substance or from a difference in
electric Potential. Heat may be conducted when the motions
of energetic (hotter) molecules are passed on to nearby, less energetic (cooler)
molecules, but a more effective method is the migration of energetic free electrons.
Conduction of electricity consists of the flow of charges. Metals are thus
good conductors of both heat and electricity because they have a high free-electron
density.
- Confidence Level
- A statistical evaluation of the percentage of statements or
tests expected to be correct using a given analytical system.
- Confined Detonating Fuze (CDF)
- A detonating cord with a flexible outer sheath which retains
the products of detonation.
- Confined Detonation Velocity
- The detonation velocity of an explosive material in a
substantial container or a borehole.
- Confinement
- Confinement may be defined as an inert material of some
strength and having a given wall thickness, situated in the immediate vicinity of an
explosive. Priming or heating the explosive materials produces different results,
according to whether they are located in a stronger or a weaker confinement. If confined
by thick steel, almost any explosive will explode or detonate on being heated; on the
other hand, they burn on contact with an open flame if unconfined ( Combustion;
Mass Explosion Risk), except Initiating Explosives.
- The destructive (fragmentation) effect of an explosion becomes
stronger if the explosive is confined (stemmed) in an enclosure such as a borehole. In the
absence of natural confinement, the explosive charge is often embedded in an inert
material such as clay. Mud Cap, Stemming.
- Connecting Wire
- Wire used to extend the firing line
or legwires in an electric blasting circuit.
- Conservation laws
- Conservation laws, in physics are the basic laws that maintain
that the total value of certain quantities remains unchanged during a physical process.
Conserved quantities include Mass (or matter), Energy, linear Momentum, angular momentum, and electric Charge; the theory of Relativity,
however, combines the laws of conservation of mass and of energy into a single law.
Additional conservation laws have meaning only on the subatomic level.
- Convection
- Convection is the transfer of heat by the flow of a liquid or
gas. A fluid expands when heated and thus undergoes a decrease in density. The warmer,
less dense regions of a fluid tend to rise, in accordance with Archimedes’
Principle, through the surrounding cooler fluid. If the heat continues to be
supplied, the cooler fluid that flows in to replace the rising fluid will also become
heated and will rise, setting up a convection current.
- Conventional Entry / Breach Point
- A normal point of entry into the target area which may include
doorways, hallways, staircase, elevator.
- Cook-Off
- The detonation or deflagration of an explosive-filled device
caused by externally applied heat.
- Cooling salt
- Either sodium chloride or sodium carbonate incorporated in a
high explosive to reduce the heat of the explosion as in permitted (permissible)
explosives. A flame-depressant, isothermic chemical.
- Copper Crusher Gage
- Device used to measure pressure developed in gun chamber by
measuring the deformation of a copper cylinder.
- Coppering
- Metal fouling left in the bore of a weapon by the rotating
band or the jacket of a projectile.
- Cord. Detonating
- Tube containing a core of high explosive.
- Cordite
- Double-base powder in the form of cords, composed of
gun-cotton, nitroglycerin and mineral jelly, used by
some foreign nations as a propellant in rounds of ammunition. Designation for double base
(nitroglycerin-nitrocellulose) gun propellants in the United Kingdom.
- Corrosion
- Wearing away of a bore by the effect of chemical action on the
material. Erosion.
- Cosmic Rays
- The extremely high-energy subatomic particles which bombard
the atmosphere from outer space. Cosmic-ray primaries seem to be mostly protons, hydrogen
nuclei, but also comprise heavier nuclei. On colliding with atmospheric particles, they
produce many different kinds of lower-energy secondary cosmic radiation.
- Coulomb
- A unit of electric charge. The absolute coulomb, the current
U.S. legal standard, is the amount of charge transferred in 1 second
by a current of 1 Ampere; i.e., it is 1 ampere-second.
- Coulomb's Law
- Coulomb's law, physical law stating that the electrostatic
force between two point charges in free space is proportional to the product of the amount
of charge on the bodies divided by the square of the distance between them. If the bodies
are oppositely charged, one positive and one negative, they are attracted toward each
other; if the bodies are similarly charged, both positive or both negative, the force
between them is repulsive.
- Countdown
- The time period in which a sequence of events is carried out
to launch a rocket; the sequence of events.
- Counterrecoil
- Forward movement of a gun returning to firing position after
recoil.
- Coupling
- The degree to which an explosive fills the cross section of a
borehole or is in intimate contact with a target surface; in conventional drilling/load
shoot operations, bulk-loaded explosives are completely coupled; untamped cartridges are
decoupled; in the case of linear shaped cutting charges, these are uncoupled.
- Covert Entry
- A stealthful, quiet entry into the target area meant to not
alert combatant(s) to the presence of the assault element(s).
- Co-Volume
- Used in the Nobel-Abel equation and represents the space
occupied by a gas and propellant residue when compressed to a minimum volume (maximum
density).
- Creep
- A term used to designate the forward movement of components
that tends to take place during projectile flight as a result of the force caused by
deceleration due to air resistance.
- Crimp
- The folded ends of paper explosive cartridges; the
circumferential depression at the open end of a fuse cap or igniter cord connector that
serves to secure the fuse; or the circumferential depression in the blasting cap shell
that secures a sealing plug or sleeve into electric or nonelectric detonators.
- Crimping
- The act of securing a fuse cap or igniter cord connector to a
section of a safety fuse by compressing the metal shell of the cap against the fuse by
means of a cap crimper.
- Critical Diameter
- The minimum diameter for propagation of a detonation wave at a
stable velocity. Critical diameter is affected by conditions of confinement, temperature,
and pressure on the explosive. It is strongly texture dependent, and is larger in cast
than in pressed charges. Finely dispersed gas inclusions considerably reduce the critical
diameter. In the case of very insensitive materials - ammonium nitrate for example, the
critical diameter may be very large. While in explosive products such as DEXS the critical diameter may be a crossection as small as
1/64”.
- Critical Humidity
- The humidity at which the material is in equilibrium with its
environment with respect to moisture content.
- Critical Mass
- Combustion, or burning, is a term usually employed to describe
a reaction between a fuel and atmospheric air. This typically occurs when a small quantity
of explosives burns.
- When a considerable quantity of explosives is burning, an
adiabatic reaction may develop between the ingredients, reinforced by heat transferred
from the gaseous products of the reaction.
- The threshold quantity of explosives so required to produce
this second class of reaction is known as the “critical mass”, which has a
characteristic value for each explosive substance. In quantities above the critical mass,
therefore, quiescently burning explosives may suddenly spontaneously explode.
- This propensity is particularly important to be aware of when
destroying deteriorated or unwanted explosives by burning.
- Critical Material
- Something not available in sufficient quantity in war time.
- Cross-Wind Force (Lift)
- Component of air resistance in a direction perpendicular to
the motion of the center of gravity, in the plane of yaw.
- Cryogenics
- Science concerned with the production and maintenance of very
low temperatures, and with the effects that occur under such conditions. Although it is
impossible to reach absolute zero, a temperature as low as about one millionth of a degree
on the Kelvin scale above absolute zero can be attained. Low temperatures are achieved by
removing energy from a substance. By using a succession of liquefied gases, a substance
may be cooled to as low as 4.2°K, the boiling point of liquid helium. Still lower
temperatures may be reached by successive magnetization and demagnetization. Some unusual
conditions, notably Superconductivity and
Superefluidity, prevail at cryogenic temperatures.
- Crystal
- Crystal, solid body bounded by natural plane faces that are
the external expression of a regular internal arrangement of constituent atoms, molecules,
or ions. The particles in a crystal occupy positions with definite geometrical
relationships to each other, forming a kind of scaffolding called a crystalline lattice.
On the basis of its chemistry and the arrangement of its atoms, a crystal falls into one
of 32 classes; these in turn are grouped into seven systems according to the relationships
of their axes. Differences in the physical properties of crystals sometimes determine the
use to which they can be put in industry.
- Crystal Density
- Maximum density attainable for a given substance.
- Current
- In electricity, the flow or rate of flow of electric force in
a conductor, from a point of higher potential to one of lower potential.
- Current Density
- The amount of electric current passing through a
cross-sectional area of the conductor in a given unit of time; commonly expressed in
amperes per square centimeter.
- Current Leakage
- Portion of the firing current bypassing part of the blasting
circuit through unintended paths.
- Current Limiting Device
- An electric or electromechanical device that limits:
- 1) current amplitude;
- 2) duration of current flow; or
- 3) total energy of the current delivered to an electric
blasting circuit.
- Cutoff
- A break in a path of detonation or initiation caused by
extraneous interference, such as flyrock, debris, or shifting ground.
- Cutting Charges
- Cutting charges serve to cut through iron plates, cables,
bridge trusses, etc. They are constructed on the principle of Shaped
charges, but are not rotationally symmetrical; their shape is that of long
channels (grooves).
- The cutting depth of these charges depends to a considerable
extent on the thickness and lining material of the angular or semi-circular groove; in
addition, the optimum distance from the target must be determined in advance.
- As in rotationally symmetrical hollow charges, a jet of highly
accelerated gases and metal fragments is produced.
- Cyclonite
- Material to be added.
- Cyclotol
- The name given to RDX / TNT mixtures with compositions varying
between 50:50 and 75:25. RDX and Composition
B.
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