Answer & Solution
Answer: Option A
Solution:
Ammonial is an explosive made up of ammonium nitrate and aluminium powder. The ammonium nitrate functions as an oxidizer and the aluminium as fuel. The use of the relatively cheap ammonium nitrate and aluminium makes it a replacement for pure TNT. The mixture is affected by humidity because ammonium nitrate is highly hygroscopic. Ammonal is not easily detonated, requiring a fairly substantial shock, though it is still more sensitive than trinitrotoluene and composition C4 . The detonation velocity of ammonal is approximately 4,400 metres per second or 9,842 miles per hour. Ammonal used for military mining purposes was generally contained within metal cans or rubberised bags to prevent moisture ingress problems. The composition of ammonal used at Messines was 65% ammonium nitrate, 17% aluminum, 15% trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 3% charcoal. Ammonal remains in use as an industrial explosive. Typically, it is used for quarrying or mining purposes.
