Detasheet
Encyclopedia
Detasheet is a flexible rubberized explosive, somewhat similar to plastic explosive
Plastic explosive
Plastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is a soft and hand moldable solid material. Plastic explosives are properly known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering....

s, originally manufactured by DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...

. Its ingredients are PETN
PETN
Pentaerythritol tetranitrate , also known as PENT, PENTA, TEN, corpent, penthrite , is the nitrate ester of pentaerythritol. Penta refers to the five carbon atoms of the neopentane skeleton.PETN is most well known as an explosive...

 with nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...

 and a binder.

Properties

It was manufactured in thin flexible sheets with a rubbery texture, technically known as a rubberized explosives and is generally coloured either reddish/orange (commercial) or green (military). In use, it is typically cut to shape for precision engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

ing charges.

Compared to other explosives detasheet is very stable. It is detonated with a blasting cap or primercord but not by small-arms fire, heat, water, pressure, or concussion. Detasheet is relatively expensive compared to other explosives.

Ingredients

Detasheet C, the last and most common version produced, was made up of 63% PETN, 8% Nitrocellulose, and 29% ATBC, an organic plasticizer.

Production status

DuPont ceased manufacturing explosives in the 1990s and the trade mark is now owned by Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Defense Company, the company now selling a very similar explosive sheet called Primasheet
Primasheet
Primasheet is a rubberized sheet explosive material similar to Detasheet. Manufactured by Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company Primasheet comes in two varieties: Primasheet 1000 is PETN based and Primasheet 2000 is RDX based...

.

Deta Flex

A military variant of Detasheet, called Deta Flex, was manufactured in a single thickness (0.25 inch / 6.25 mm) and olive green colored. Deta Flex contains a higher percentage of PETN (70%).

LX-02-1

A version of Deta Flex is manufactured for Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...

research purposes, colored blue and manufactured in various thicknesses. LX-02-1 contains 73.5% PETN, 17.6% Butyl Rubber, 6.9% ATBC, and 2.0% Cab-o-sil.
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