Highest Theoretical VOD of Chemical Detonations

Not offering much well-thought out details here. But, if I'm not mistaken, Nuclear Weapons sport the highest VOD today. And, if i'm not mistaken, the explosion is not caused so much by the release of gases, but by the expansion of atmospheric gases as a result of a massive heat output.

Would it be possible to accomplish similar results by similar means? Rather than having explosive decomposition, just a compound that gives off massive heat on decomposition to heat atmospheric gases?

But then, I suppose having a conventional HE would do the same thing... Only the energy from decomposition is put into the product gases as opposed to atmospheric gases.

Alternately, could an initial explosion be used just prior to another detonation, where the first one's goal is to create a temporary vacuum ahead of the second explosion-- so that the energy of the product gases is put to maximum efficiency by not having to compete with a high pressure atmosphere?

Oh well; it's still fun to blow ants around with a hot soldering iron

FAE's

Ok, I thought it would be clear that I did NOT include nuclear explosions in the highest theoretical VoD!! Naturally, particles are accelerated to close to the speed of light there, plus temperatures rise to several million Kelvin! The sheer photon generation there produces a massive shockwave by itself! Needless to say, photon density (i.e. in the infrared/visible/UV range) is related to temperature (and secondary effects, i.e. adsorption and release of lower energy photons produces more infrared, which we experience as heat).

Anyway, back to the highest possible VoD of *chemical* detonations:
Basically, I am postualating that a gas compressed to the density of a water, or lead, or uranium, plus heating this whole thing to the temperature to the temperatures found at the core of the detonation (several thousand Kelvin) would produce a velocity of gas release (upon removal of the admittedly very strong confinement) topping that of the highest VoDs found in todays chemical detonations.
In other words, isnt an explosive basically an extremely compressed heated gas, in it's final state? I am taking that thought to the extreme, as you can see
On another note: Acceleration is a function of the mass, hence the velocity of a particle is greater the smaller the mass is. Probably it would then make more sense to compress Hydrogen (!!) to the density of lead, heat it and release that baby from confinement! Voila! your maximum possible VoD, right?

Anyway, I mentioned to use a *vacuum* so as to exclude any secondary effects etc.
It is well known that explosives are not as powerful in vacuum by the way, due to the lack of atmospheric compressions/vacuums etc.


[Edited on 16-12-2003 by chemoleo]

How powerful is it ?

I agree they don't fit the parameters, as you outlined them. The only exception might be some kind of transparent mixture that reacted to the light emitted from the reaction, and thus propagated itself at the speed of light in that medium. I'm not sure there are any examples of this, but you must agree it is 'theoretically' possible.

I still think the fastest explosive would be H+H =H2 as the components are the lightest and the energy released the highest per gram. I didn't say it would be the safest or easiest.

I wouldn't try it if I were you.
On a similar note, I recall from somewhere that in their quest for a superbomb, the nazis created bombs in which the explosive was based on liquified acetylene and ozone... One would think they were in seperate containers! But they had the unfortunate effect of exploding from the slightest provocation (so they might have mixed em up first ) but I hear liquid ozone is a damn good explosive on its own. (And acetylene under pressure can polymerise explosively).

"There is no way you can compress gasses to those densities, especially low-molecular-weight gasses. For hydrogen *gas* this probably exceeds critical temp and pressure by an order of magnitude."
ONLY under normal conditions. Metallic hydrogen does exist but it certainly takes some effort to create. Including single use apparates. Now that begs the question of: If hydrogen can be compressed explosively to a metallic state, wouldn't its inevitable expansion produce an explosion of high velocity? Now assuming a large enough explosive lense setup with accompanying LH resevoir, there would be two simultaneous detonations: one in which the lenses explode, compacting the liquid hydrogen into a metallic state and two, the metallic hydrogen vapourises quite violently indeed... And altogether the explosion is produced "chemically". In fact, it might even have a refrigirant effect, sort of like an "ice-bomb"... I think something must be wrong with my reasoning.

Remember, the goal is velocity of detonation. The hydrogen has no real energy of its own. Its absorbing the energy from the explosive lenses (Like an implosion nuke but with LH2 instead of Plutonium as a core.) Now, for a brief period of time, the hydrogen is supercompressed, in a very small volume indeed. Now consider the incredible relative size of hydrogen; Does this not mean that one can fit more potentially into the same volume? And were that pressure suddenly released, the speed of the "detonation" (which is what we're looking for, NOT efficiency. This is horribly inefficient) would be tremendous.
And plus, I always liked the idea of an ice-bomb
The hydrogen would heat up from the pressure/decrease in volume, but think of a warm canister of CO2 liquid: When the pressure is released, it cools, and voila - dry ice!
For a containment material (to encapsulate the liquid hydrogen) I imagine a lighter molecular weight material would prove advantageous. Lithium or aluminum might be useable. Or a long chain hydrocarbon (mostly hydrogen and carbon).

Fluorine dissolves glass.