Practice Test Geeks(CES) Certified Explosives Specialist Practice Test
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Explosive Materials & Chemical Composition Flashcards

7 cards from real CES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Which chemical compound is the primary active ingredient in ANFO blasting agents?

    Answer: Ammonium nitrate

    ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate/Fuel Oil) derives its explosive energy primarily from ammonium nitrate (94%) mixed with fuel oil (6%).

  2. What is the oxygen balance of a high explosive, and why is it important?

    Answer: A measure of excess or deficiency of oxygen relative to complete oxidation of carbon and hydrogen

    Oxygen balance expresses the degree to which an explosive can oxidize its own carbon and hydrogen, affecting the toxicity of fumes and explosive efficiency.

  3. TNT (trinitrotoluene) has a negative oxygen balance of approximately -74%. What does this indicate?

    Answer: TNT produces significant carbon monoxide and soot because it lacks sufficient oxygen

    A negative oxygen balance means TNT has insufficient oxygen to fully oxidize its carbon to CO₂, resulting in black smoke and CO in post-blast gases.

  4. Which of the following is classified as a primary explosive due to its extreme sensitivity to initiation stimuli?

    Answer: Lead azide

    Lead azide is a primary explosive that is highly sensitive to heat, friction, and impact, making it suitable for use in detonators.

  5. What distinguishes a 'deflagration' from a 'detonation' at the chemical level?

    Answer: Deflagration is subsonic combustion; detonation involves a supersonic shock wave driving the chemical reaction

    In detonation, a supersonic shock wave propagates through the explosive and initiates the chemical reaction, while deflagration propagates by heat transfer at subsonic speeds.

  6. RDX (cyclonite) is widely used in military explosives and detonating cord. What is its chemical name?

    Answer: Research Department Explosive / cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine

    RDX stands for Research Department Explosive and is chemically known as cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (C₃H₆N₆O₆), a nitroamine high explosive.

  7. What role does the sensitizer play in an emulsion explosive formulation?

    Answer: It lowers the activation energy required for detonation, increasing sensitivity to a booster

    Sensitizers such as glass microballoons or hollow microspheres create hot spots that lower the energy threshold required to initiate detonation in emulsion explosives.