Liquid-Oxygen Explosive

liquid-oxygen explosive

[′lik·wəd ¦äk·sə·jən ik′splō·siv] (materials) Sawdust or other carbonaceous material formed into a cartridge and dipped into liquid oxygen, to use in blasting. Abbreviated LOX.

Liquid-Oxygen Explosive

 

(oxyliquit), an explosive whose chief component is liquid oxygen saturating organic absorbents, such as wood charcoal or fine sawdust. The cartridge of the absorbent is impregnated with liquid oxygen in a special vacuum bottle immediately before loading. A fulminating detonator is used.

The use of liquid-oxygen explosives in underground mining excavations is forbidden. In the USSR these explosives were used extensively in the construction of the Dneproges hydroelectric power plant in the early 1930’s but were later replaced by the simplest ammonium nitrate explosives.