"Oxidation is the loss of electrons. Oxidising agent removes electrons from something else."[1]

(345 words)

Low Explosives
Black powder is the most common low explosive. It produces a large amount of smoke. It is still used for pyrotechnics (fireworks), special effects, and other specialized work. Low explosives include black powder and cellulose trinitrate; these are considered low explosives as they only produce 6000 atmospheres of pressure when compared to nitroglycerine which produces 275,000 atmospheres. Low explosives can react within milliseconds.

High Explosives
High explosives create more pressure and burn more quickly, detonating almost instantaneously. High explosives are used in engineering and the military. High explosives like nitroglycerine produces up to 275,000 atmospheres of pressure when it explodes. High explosives can react within microseconds which is faster than low explosives.

The main requirements of an explosive reaction are;

1. The reaction is exothermic this depends on the bond enthalpies. When nitroglycerine explodes, the energy to break the bonds higher than the bond being formed ,

You can see that the total enthalpy for the explosion of nitroglycerine is -2225.

2. The reaction must take place very quickly
3. Most of the products must be gasses because gasses are hot and can be produced very quickly and in limited spaces.  This causes a build up of pressure and this may cause the explosion.

(260 words)

Pasteur's work not only revolutionized the technology of bacterial fermentation, as  used in beer making. By excluding microbes that could contaminate the fermentation and cause changes it also indicated that other chemicals could be manufactured in bulk by microbes. This is how  (acetone) was produce pre and during the First World War. During the World War the chemist  showed that propanone could be produced by the bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum which is found in maize and conkers. During the world wars German U-boats started sink the cargo ships with the maize which was being imported in to the UK onboard the ships for the production of propanone. Chaim Weizmann adapted the bacterial fermentation process to use conkers in stead.

Post war   at 500ºC. This process is still being used today.

 (138 words)

Attitudes to Health and safety have changed in chemical research and industrial chemistry. In research into explosive there have been many deaths like Nobel’s youngest brother was killed in a explosion in a nitroglycerine factory. Then the Swedish government banned nitroglycerine factorises to be producing nitroglycerine near housing.

When high explosive where being used for blasting in the 1870’s there was no health and safety rules. The worker even cared a bit of the explosives around with them as they had withdrawal effect when away for the explosives. In today society this would seen very unsafe. There are strict rules about storage,

“Explosives at the worksite must be guarded or contained in secured day boxes until used or returned to storage magazines.” 

This is how strict the rules are in this society as terrorism is such a threat.

(122 words)

(Total word 1016)