ABS

A plastic which is a copolymer of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene

Aerobic

In presence of air

AIT

Autoignition temperature

Alloy

Mixture of 2 or more metals

Amalgam

Alloy of a metal with mercury

Ambient

Usual or surrounding

Anaerobic

In absence of air

Analogue

Compound of the same structural type

AO

Active oxygen content of peroxides

Aprotic

Without labile hydrogen atom(s)

Aqua regia

Mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids

ARC

Accelerating rate calorimetry

ASTM

American Society for Testing and Materials

Autocatalytic

A reaction catalysed by its own products or intermediates, thus Self Accelerating

Autoxidation

Slow reaction with air

BAM

Bundes Anstalt f r Materialspr fung (similar to ASTM)

Basic

Fundamental, or, alkaline (acting as a base)

BLEVE

Boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion

Blowing agent

Material producing much gas on decomposition

b.p.

Boiling point

BSC

Bench scale calorimeter

Carbonaceous

Containing elemental carbon (as opposed to organic, containing combined carbon)

CHETAH

A computer program to predict energy release hazards

CIT

Critical ignition temperature

Class

Collection of related chemical groups or topics

COI

Critical oxygen index

conc.

concentrated

Congener

Compound with related but not identical structure

COT

Cyclooctatetraene

Cp

Cyclopentadienyl

Critical diameter

Minimum diameter of an explosive charge capable of maintaining detonation

Cryogenic

At a very low (freezing) temperature

CVD

Chemical vapour deposition

Deflagration

Self sustaining internal combustion propagating by means of molecular heat transfer slower than the speed of sound (the explosion mechanism of gunpowder and other 'low' explosives)

?H _f

Standard heat of formation

Desiccate

Dry intensively

Detonable

Capable of detonation

Detonation