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| | Explosives |
 | | An explosive is defined as a material (chemical or nuclear) that can be initiated to undergo very rapid, self-propagating decomposition that results in the formation of more stable material, the liberation of heat, or the development of a sudden pressure effect through the action of heat on produced or adjacent gases. |
 | | A chemical explosive is a compound or a mixture of compounds which, when subjected to heat, impact, friction, or shock, undergoes very rapid, self-propagating, heat- producing decomposition. |
 | | An explosive base is a solid or liquid which, upon the application of sufficient heat or shock, decomposes to gases with an accompanying release of considerable heat. |
| www.globalsecurity.org /military/systems/munitions/explosives.htm (2058 words) |
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