How is a detonation defined? Why do some explosives detonate, whereas others do not?
Detonation is a type of combustion involving a supersonic exothermic front accelerating through a medium that eventually imparts a shock front propagating directly in front of it. (OR) The action of causing a bomb or explosive device to explode.
In other words, the term detonation indicates that the reaction is moving through the explosive faster than the speed of sound in the unreacted explosive; whereas, deflagration indicates a slower reaction (rapid burning).
Since some explosives are high explosive and some are low explosive. A high explosive will detonate where as a low explosive will deflagrate.
A High Explosive is a compound which, when initiated, is capable of sustaining a detonation shockwave to produce a powerful blast effect.
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