TABLE OF CONTENTS An explosion is a sudden and violent release of energy. The violence of the explosion depends on the rate at which energy is released. The energy stored in a car tyre, for example, is capable of causing an explosive burst, but it can be dissipated by gradual release.
There are several kinds of energy which may be released in an explosion. Three basic types are (1) physical energy, (2) chemical energy and (3) nuclear energy.
Physical energy may take such forms as pressure energy in gases, strain energy in metals or electrical energy. Examples of the violent release of physical energy are the explosion of a vessel due to high gas pressure and the sudden rupture of a vessel due to brittle fracture. Another important physical form is thermal energy. In particular, superheat in a liquid under pressure causes flashing off of the liquid if it is let down to atmospheric pressure. However, this is generally important in creating the conditions for an explosion rather than as a source of energy for the explosion itself.
Chemical energy derives from a chemical reaction. Examples of the violent release of chemical energy are explosion of a vessel due to combustion of flammable gas, and explosion of a reactor caused by decomposition of reaction products in a runaway chemical reaction.
Chemical explosions are either (1) uniform explosions or (2) propagating explosions. An explosion in a vessel tends to be a uniform explosion, while an explosion in a...
