There is such an explosive, its explosive power is greater than TNT, and the explosive power of ordinary explosives cannot be detonated, and when the battlefield is not needed, it can even be used for cooking on fire, which is really idle, and it is not impossible to rub and play with plasticine.
This is the C4 explosive, which is called "cruel gum" by American soldiers. In the fifties of the twentieth century, a team of military technologists of the former Czechoslovakia developed the C4 explosive based on the principles of the invention of the C1, C2 and C3 high-powered explosives during the Second World War. By the sixties and seventies, during the American war of aggression against Vietnam, this explosive was first used in practice.
Intriguingly, through the practical application of the Vietnamese battlefield, American soldiers found that this explosive can not only kill and injure the enemy, but also be used to make a fire and cook during the march break. At that time, American military reporters filmed this incredible scene in the barracks, where an American soldier was actually cooking cans with explosive powder.
In this way, the C4 explosive quickly gained popularity with its excellent war effect and wonderful stability, and all countries in the world knew that there was such a magical weapon in the hands of the US military. However, the seemingly safe C4 explosives are not without their drawbacks.
Today, let's talk about explosives, a terrible weapon that destroys the world, and explore the science behind the magical C4.
From a few Mars to the destruction of the world
Do you know where the world's earliest explosives were invented? As one of the four great ancient civilizations, many inventions in the modern world have been embodied in ancient China.
According to historical records, at least at the end of the Tang Dynasty, there were instructions on the preparation and use of gunpowder in the Central Plains, which is one of the "four great inventions" of ancient times that are famous in our country. And judging from the maturity of the records at the time, it is likely that gunpowder was invented much earlier. In the Song Dynasty, gunpowder began to be used in warfare, and the explosives used in the red-coated cannons (Hongyi cannons) that destroyed cities and villages during the Ming and Qing dynasties were also based on this technology.
So seeing this, you may wonder, what is the relationship and difference between gunpowder and the explosives we are talking about?
Gunpowder is actually our colloquial Xi term for ancient Chinese explosives, and its official international name is "black explosives". Because our gunpowder is in the form of black powder after being proportioned by several components, and it needs to be ignited by an open flame to show its power.
In this way, you may understand that gunpowder invented in ancient China is a kind of explosive now, and it is also the earliest type of explosive.
In the 19th century, modern Europe gave birth to a famous figure in the history of human civilization in the field of chemistry - Nobel. This stubborn Swede did not hesitate to sacrifice his life and devoted his life to the development of explosives. In 1875, Nobel freed explosives from the need for an open flame to be detonated.
Not only has the efficiency of the explosive method been improved, but the explosive power of explosives as a high-destruction weapon has also been gradually expanded.
Ancient Chinese gunpowder was only a boost for the firing of cannonballs, because our cannonballs at that time were generally solid iron balls or stones, which only caused physical damage to the striking object, and did not explode after impact.
After Nobel's achievements became famous, the conclusions of his research on explosives were quickly favored by European and American powers. With explosives that do not require open flames, these capitalist countries can further exploit mines and invade foreign countries. During the two world wars in the first half of the twentieth century, as wars occurred frequently around the world, explosives technology as the main weapon developed like a rocket.
Moments before the end of World War II, the Americans dropped the devastating atomic bomb on Japan, which was also the most terrifying explosive weapon ever developed by human civilization. The moment the two detonating marbles touched each other, a city was instantly reduced to ashes.
Moreover, the most terrifying thing about nuclear weapons represented by the atomic bomb is not the power of the explosion, but the radioactive nuclear contamination released after detonation, which can not only flatten a city to the ground and kill all living things, but also make the place unreborn for a long time.
As mentioned earlier, C4 explosives also sprouted during the Second World War, and although it is not as terrible as the atomic bomb, it has magical qualities that the atomic bomb does not have.
Magical C4 dynamite
The name "C4" is actually derived from the simple chemical character expression, with the letter C representing the carbon element in the chemical element table, and C4 as the name suggests that each molecular structure has four carbon atoms. Just like the well-known water molecule, its chemical formula "H2O" means that it is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
The carbon element that makes up C4 explosives is widely distributed in nature, and human beings have also fully exploited it. Living organisms, especially plants, contain a lot of carbon, and diamonds that look crystal clear are actually combinations of carbon elements. The reason why carbon is the main component of C4 explosives is because of its flammable and explosive chemical properties.
Of course, in the actual process of making explosives, it is not really spliced with carbon atoms one by one, but with carbon-containing cyclotrimethyltrinitroamine, commonly known as "black gold". This kind of object accounts for more than ninety percent of the mass ratio of the entire C4 explosive composition, and it is also the key to whether the C4 explosive can achieve explosive power.
It is precisely because of the effect of Hesorkin that the explosion speed of C4 explosives after detonation can expand by more than 8,000 meters per second. What is this concept?
At present, the largest aircraft carrier in the world is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier of the United States, and there are ten in the United States. In an absolute theoretical environment, it only takes half a second to put these ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers together to be blown up by a sufficient amount of C4 explosives.
Such terrifying power makes C4 explosives like atomic bombs and weapons of mass destruction protected from being used. If it is really like what was said at the beginning of the article, although it is only used in small amounts, but the US soldiers dare to use C4 explosives to make a fire for cooking without protection, not only their own lives will be saved, but even their comrades near them will suffer.
This brings us to the second mystery of C4 explosives - safety and stability. The secret to this property is the plastic adhesive that wraps around the explosives, polyisobutylene.
The chemical properties of polyisobutylene are also interesting, first of all, it is highly airtight. To put it simply, things wrapped in this material are not easy to leak and have a strong seal.
In the conditions that need to be generated by combustion, the ventilation environment and oxygen content are very important indicators, and the polyisobutylene firmly protects the core of C4 explosives in this plastic shell, so that it cannot fully react with the oxygen in the air even in a high temperature environment. Since the necessary conditions are missing, it is theoretically impossible for the C4 explosive to be detonated, which is the key to why the US soldiers dare to use it to make a fire for cooking.
Even in an open flame, C4 explosives will not explode due to the protection of the polyisobutylene shell, and will only slowly consume the carbon and other combustible substances inside through the combustion of the flame.
In addition to high safety, polyisobutylene also gives C4 explosives strong plasticity. According to some soldiers' descriptions, they can even be rubbed haphazardly like plasticine.
But you may ask, what is the advantage of being malleable for an explosive?
Then we need to think outside the box and not limit the use of explosives to the war of conquering cities. Modern industrial production is also inseparable from the help of explosives, especially in the field of large-scale heavy industries such as mining and building construction.
Let's take mining as an example, such a large mine is placed there, and mineral resources can only be obtained by digging through the surface of the mountain. According to the current mining technology, we must not be like Yugong and Dayu through manpower with the mountains and trees, right? It is definitely necessary to use explosives to blow up a hole, which is not only efficient, but more importantly, to avoid the danger of manual excavation.
The shape of the mountain passes in different mines is different, and the assembly shape of ordinary explosives may not be suitable for all mountain passes.
Therefore, the characteristics of C4 explosives are manifested at this time. Strong plasticity means that it can adjust the shape and placement of the explosive bag according to various actual situations, and it is really like plasticine that is actually kneaded by the staff into the actual appearance. Coupled with the high safety mentioned above, an open flame will not cause an explosion, and manual rubbing does not have to worry about misfire.
However, it is precisely because of the advantages of C4 explosives that its biggest disadvantage is that people have a weak awareness of it. It can really be said that "blessings and misfortunes depend on them, and misfortunes and blessings exist", and the dialectical relationship between blessings and disasters is too suitable for C4 explosives. Due to its unique nature, many terrorists have targeted C4 explosives, pinched them into small pieces and carried them around, and even escaped the security facilities of some countries, eventually causing many tragedies.
Therefore, for all countries in the world, the biggest significance of C4 explosives is not what kind of killing or stabilizing effect it can cause, but because it can maintain the peace of one side. If C4 explosives are just the same calamity, then it is no longer a miracle dynamite, but a real evil.