APO - 30-4-2013 at 17:21
I've done a lot of searching about this and only found this, but it was more about fusion explosives, than what I'm thinking. I'm wondering if explosives enriched with heavy isotopes will effect the
working mass of the detonation to show any measurable increase in power. After all it could increase the density slightly, and the higher affinity of
oxygen towards deuterium could result in a slightly more exothermic reaction when exposed to protium. Just bored, wanted to see what you guys think of
this idea.
Motherload - 30-4-2013 at 20:52
You will end up with a really expensive isotopic variant of an existing energetic that performs maybe marginally better.
Density isn't the only key ..... Chemistry stays the same.
APO - 30-4-2013 at 22:29
Thanks. Just a thought.
KonkreteRocketry - 1-5-2013 at 01:35
Tantalum is one of the heaviest metal i think that can burn so well with oxygen, although 3 times less than magnesium.
Ral123 - 1-5-2013 at 02:54
That's why the iron cases of the bombs are invented, even trough they get pulverised.
Trotsky - 1-5-2013 at 21:02
Replacing atoms with radioactive isotopes could make for an incredibly expensive time wasting and ultimately useless dirty bomb. Not something anyone
would do, of course, there are better ways to that evil end.
I would be interested in radioactive analogues of explosives. Replacing carbon-12 with carbon-11 or 14 (the latter probably easier to work with) and
hydrogen with tritium would be interesting. I wonder how radioactive decay would influence sensitivity. Could a molecule detonate due to decay?
Alternatively, and this is something I know nothing about, could detonation trigger decay? Have radioactive explosives been studied? Not the highly
enriched uranium type, that is.
Fantasma4500 - 2-5-2013 at 08:37
wolfram should be easier to get a hold of as TIG welding electrodes, its density is the same as gold; 19.3g/cm3
sorry if i completely missed the range of answers wanted :s
APO - 4-5-2013 at 11:11
Lets keep it to stable isotopes , I want no ideas of dirty bombs floating around.
Motherload - 4-5-2013 at 14:16
Lead azide has a density of 4.7 g/cm3
Doesn't help it too much.
Gamma radiation cause PETN to deteriorate faster.
May not be the best to have isotopic energetics.
Trotsky - 4-5-2013 at 14:18
Don't be ridiculous, no one wanting to make a dirty bomb would make it with unstable isotopic variants of known explosives. That's retarded.
Would maybe be interesting from a materials science perspective but not as a weapon