Explosives are materials that produce violent chemical or nuclear reactions. These reactions generate large amounts of heat and gas in a fraction of a second. Shock waves produced by rapidly expanded gases are responsible for much of the destruction seen following an explosion. Probably the oldest known explosive is black gunpowder, a mixture of charcoal (carbon), sulfur, and saltpeter (potassium...

Chemistry of Firework Colors Creating firework colors is a complex endeavor, requiring considerable art and application of physical science. Excluding propellants or special effects, the points of light ejected from fireworks, termed 'stars', generally require an oxygen-producer, fuel, binder (to keep everything where it needs to be), and color producer. There are two main mechanisms of color pro...

Alternate Words for Familiar Materials Chemical or scientitic names are used to give an accurate description of a substance's composition. Even so, you rarely ask someone to pass the sodium chloride at the dinner table. It's important to remember that common names are inaccurate and vary from one place and time to another. Therefore, don't assume that you know the chemical composition of a substa...

Fuel Types Unleaded Petrol (ULP) ULP has a Research Octane Number (RON) of between 91 and 93. Premium Unleaded Petrol (PULP) PULP is a special blend of petrol designed to bring high octane, and hence high engine power, as well as knock-free performance to unleaded cars with a high-octane requirement. Most petrol companies have a specially named varsion of PULP PULP has a Research Octane Number...

Biodegradable Polymers The large scale use of synthetic polymers has been based on their relative inertness to environmental process so that degradation reactions leading to any change in the properties of the polymer during the service life of its product does not occur. It is due to this property that management of polymeric waste has become so difficult that use of polymers has created acute e...