Phlegmatize

Phlegmatization (from Greco-Latin phlegma , "slime") is a technique for reducing the sensitivity of explosive substances (e.g. nitropenta , hexogen ) to impact and friction .

In chemistry , “phlegmatized” usually means that a (powdery) substance is coated with liquid . Substances that are in powder form are often highly reactive and tend to oxidize explosively . In order to make the handling, transport and storage of such substances harmless, they are phlegmatized. The individual particles are surrounded by thin layers of liquid and are therefore less reactive.

Examples are:

• the phlegmatization of aluminum powder with linseed oil . It can only ignite with great difficulty in the air. However, its violent reaction with iron (III) oxide persists ( thermite reaction ).
• the coverage of phosphorus with water . It is thus sealed off from atmospheric oxygen and there is no self-ignition.
• the phlegmatization of picric acid with wax.
• the phlegmatization of acetone peroxide with acetone.
• the phlegmatization of ammonium dichromate with water.
• the phlegmatization of nitroglycerin with diatomaceous earth . The result is dynamite , which is insensitive to impact and friction, but nevertheless effective .

literature

• Rudolf Meyer: Explosivstoffe , VCH Verlagsgesellschaft, 1985, 6th edition, p. 275, ISBN 3-527-26297-0 ( restricted preview in the Google book search), p. 233.