For over a century, primary explosives have been dominated by heavy metal compounds, primarily mercury and lead. Mercury Fulminate (
Crushing a metal primer cup by a firing pin, electrostatic spark, or flash heat. Primary Explosives
Recent advances include organic compounds such as 6-azido-8H-tetrazolo[1, 5-b][1, 2, 3]triazolo[4, 5-d]pyridazine. 4. Safety Considerations For over a century, primary explosives have been
and moisture to form hydrazoic acid, which in turn reacts with copper to form the extremely sensitive and lethal copper azide. For over a century
): Frequently used in percussion primers due to its high sensitivity to fire and electrostatic discharge. 3. The "Holy Grail": Green Primary Explosives
Initiate less sensitive secondary explosives, which are safer to handle but hard to light. 2. Legacy Primary Explosives
): The most common military primary, preferred for its stability under loading and excellent initiation ability. Lead Styphnate ( C6HN3O8Pbcap C sub 6 cap H cap N sub 3 cap O sub 8 cap P b