You can find these books in public libraries. I have ebooks on my computer that go into great detail about compositions of explosives. This kind of
info is especially handy when people start talking about shelf lives of explosives like C4, without there being much information on the exact chemical
processes that constitute their degradation, or things like that. I think you are just against quality information in general, HowardRoark.
Originally posted by BigMoser
My main question about the explosion and collapse, is are there any explosive devices that could have been planted to blow up from collision from
collapsing ceilings or excessive heat from fires?
C4 is detonated by a combination of heat and pressure, but this would obviously not apply to any floors that didn't have fires on them. Depending on
where it would be placed, theoretically, it may not have been set off by falling slabs and etc. in the first place (ie, if it were set into the slabs
themselves).
Pressure or impacts or anything like that wouldn't have been able to set off thermite (thermate in demolition), which is an incendiary that has
become an interesting subject when discussing certain brightly-glowing, molten materials seen pouring out of the corner of WTC2 before its collapse,
and molten material found after the collapses around all three skyscrapers, and even sulfidated steel that had obviously been exposed to extreme
temperatures (beyond hydrocarbon fires). Thermite, as far as I'm aware, can only be "detonated" by intense heat (again, beyond hydrocarbon fires).
Thermate charges are pretty recent on the scene, I think. High explosives like C4 or less stable compounds based on TNTs have been the norm in the
industry from what I understand, so those would be common. Besides thermites and HEs like C4 and/or TNT, I'm not sure what else is commonly used in
demolition.
Damocles is an explosives expert; maybe he can show up and provide more info.
Edit: Note that the questions BigMoser asks, if answered, will
not provide sufficient information to build or "properly" employ explosives.
It's just not information that has to be posted, to answer his questions. Google is more dangerous than this thread has to be.
[edit on 13-9-2006 by bsbray11]