A chemical compound, usually containing nitrogen, that detonates as a result of shock or heat see detonation. Dynamite was the most widely used explosive for blasting and other industrial purposes until 1955, when it was largely replaced by prills-and-oil and slurry types. The former consists of 94% ammonium nitrate prills and 6% fuel oil (ANFO). Slurry blasting agents (SBA) are based on thickened or gelatinized ammonium nitrate slurries sensitized with TNT, other solid explosives, or aluminum. An unusual type of explosive is represented by acetylides of copper and silver, which are examples of commercially used explosives that contain neither oxygen nor nitrogen. High explosives vary greatly in their shock sensitivity; most sensitive are mercury fulminate and nitroglycerin, whereas TNT and ammonium nitrate are comparatively difficult to detonate, requiring the use of blasting caps or similar activating device.
