Editing Explosive (section)

==History==
{{See also|History of gunpowder|Timeline of explosives}}
[[File:Year book - photo flashes showing Toledo's phenomenal progress, thriving industries and wonderful resources - DPLA - ac95c5ef8efd2394c21e2b6edcd01d94 (page 37) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|The Great Western Powder Company of Toledo, Ohio, a producer of explosives, seen in 1905]]
[[Early thermal weapons]], such as [[Greek fire]], have existed since ancient times. At its roots, the history of chemical explosives lies in the history of [[gunpowder]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Weapons of Mass Destruction |last= Sastri |first=M.N. |publisher=APH Publishing Corporation |year=2004 |isbn=978-81-7648-742-9 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Chemistry in Daily Life |last=Singh |first=Kirpal |publisher=Prentice-Hall |year=2010 |isbn=978-81-203-4617-8 |page=68}}</ref> During the [[Tang dynasty]] in the 9th century, [[Taoism|Taoist]] Chinese alchemists were eagerly trying to find the elixir of immortality.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gbtimes.com/chinas-explosive-history-gunpowder-and-fireworks |title=China's explosive history of gunpowder and fireworks |last=Sigurðsson |first=Albert |date=17 January 2017 |website=GBTimes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033748/https://gbtimes.com/chinas-explosive-history-gunpowder-and-fireworks |archive-date=1 December 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In the process, they stumbled upon the explosive invention of black powder made from coal, saltpeter, and sulfur in 1044. Gunpowder was the first form of chemical explosives, and by 1161, the Chinese were using explosives for the first time in warfare.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/chinawh/web/s10/0781_sect10_timeline.pdf |title=China and Europe, 1500–2000 and Beyond: What is Modern? |last1=Pomeranz |first1=Ken |last2=Wong |first2=Bin |publisher=Columbia University Press |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213050629/http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/chinawh/web/s10/0781_sect10_timeline.pdf |archive-date=13 December 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=A Short History of China |last=Kerr |first=Gordon |publisher=No Exit Press |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-84243-968-5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=The Ancient World |last1=Takacs |first1=Sarolta Anna |last2=Cline |first2=Eric H. |publisher=Routledge |year=2008 |page=544}}</ref> The Chinese would incorporate explosives fired from bamboo or bronze tubes known as bamboo firecrackers. The Chinese also inserted live rats inside the bamboo firecrackers; when fired toward the enemy, the flaming rats created great psychological ramifications—scaring enemy soldiers away and causing cavalry units to go wild.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Back |first=Fiona |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-86397-826-2 |page=55|title=Australian History Series: The ancient world |publisher=Ready-Ed Publications }}</ref>

The first useful explosive stronger than black powder was [[nitroglycerin]], developed in 1847. Since nitroglycerin is a liquid and highly unstable, it was replaced by [[nitrocellulose]], trinitrotoluene ([[TNT]]) in 1863, [[smokeless powder]], [[dynamite]] in 1867 and [[gelignite]] (the latter two being sophisticated stabilized preparations of nitroglycerine rather than chemical alternatives, both invented by [[Alfred Nobel]]). World War I saw the adoption of TNT in artillery shells. World War II saw extensive use of new explosives {{xref|(see: [[List of explosives used during World War II]])}}.

In turn, these have largely been replaced by more powerful explosives such as [[C-4 (explosive)|C-4]] and [[pentaerythritol tetranitrate]] (PETN) which are also waterproof and malleable though they may catch fire due to reactions with metals.<ref name=ankony1>Ankony, Robert C., ''Lurps: A Ranger's Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri,'' revised ed., Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Lanham, MD (2009), p.73.</ref>