How is c4 made

To take out one 8-inch People apply C-4's explosive power toward all kinds of destruction. One common application is military demolition -- soldiers pack it into cracks and crevices to blow up heavy walls. It has also been widely used as an anti-personnel weapon, in battle and in terrorist attacks.

In Vietnam, for example, soldiers used a number of Cbased bombs and grenades. One notable weapon, the claymore mine , consisted of a C-4 block with several embedded ball bearings. When the C-4 was detonated, the ball bearings became deadly flying shrapnel this sort of weapon was also featured in the movie Swordfish. Unfortunately, C-4 will keep making headlines for years to come.

Because of its stability and sheer destructive power, C-4 has attracted the attention of terrorists and guerilla fighters all over the world. A small amount of C-4 can do a lot of damage, and it's fairly easy to smuggle the explosive past light security forces.

The U. As long as it is readily accessible, C-4 will continue to be a primary weapon in the terrorist arsenal. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close.

Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. How C-4 Works. Army officer plants 14 pounds of C-4 explosive on a command bunker in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Photo courtesy U. Explosive Basics " ". Soldiers set off two C-4 charges on an air base runway during a training operation.

Like other high explosives, C-4's destructive power comes from rapidly expanding hot gas. Department of Defense. High and Low. What is C-4? It coats the explosive material, so it's less sensitive to shock and heat.

This makes it relatively safe to handle the explosive. It makes the explosive material highly malleable. Reports suggest that patients do not develop subsequent seizures after initial presentation thus EEG monitoring is unlikely to change management [ 7 , 17 - 18 ].

C-4 is a plastic explosive used in military units and in select civilian settings. There are few reports or studies that identify the toxicities of C4. Based on previous reports, the toxic presentation is transient and treatment is supportive. Critical actions include airway maintenance, seizure control, and fluid resuscitation.

Although a rare occurrence, C4 toxicity should be considered in the workup of an undifferentiated seizure in a healthy patient, especially in populations that use or have access to explosives. This manuscript did not utilize any grants or funding, and it has not been presented in abstract form. This clinical review has not been published, it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright holder.

This review does not reflect the views or opinions of the U. Army, U. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional.

Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus. The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Cureus v. Published online Mar Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Corresponding author. Stephen Chong moc. Received Feb 24; Accepted Mar This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Composition C4 is a plastic explosive substance used in military combat units for demolition. Keywords: rdx, c4, composition 4, explosive, ingestion, toxicity, seizure. Introduction and background Composition C4 is a plastic explosive used in military operations.

Results A total of articles were found on the initial search after the removal of duplicate articles. Clinical presentation The presenting signs and symptoms of C4 toxicity range from headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting to lethargy and generalized seizures [ 8 , 17 - 19 ].

Management considerations and recommendations The management of patients who present with C4 ingestion focuses on symptomatic and supportive treatment. Conclusions C-4 is a plastic explosive used in military units and in select civilian settings. Footnotes The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. References 1. Composition C-4 induced seizures: a report of five cases.

Hollander Al, Colbach EM. Mil Med. Department of Homeland Security. Introduction to explosives. C4: characteristics, properties, and overview. Department of the Army. Technical Manual. Military Explosives. Headquarters, Department of the Army; TNT can even be melted and poured into vessels without so much as a flicker of excitement but it will explode with the help of a detonator — and with a great deal of force, since the nitro groups in the molecule rapidly turn into nitrogen gas.

The chemical TATP belongs to a group of molecules named peroxides, which contain weak and unstable oxygen-oxygen bonds, and that are not found in TNT. This means that TATP is a lot less stable and more prone to spontaneously exploding. These bonds are extremely unstable, since nitrogen atoms always want to come together to produce nitrogen gas because the triple bond in nitrogen is very strong and stable.

And the more nitrogen-nitrogen bonds a molecules has, like RDX, typically the more explosive it is. It is also commonly used in controlled demolition of buildings. One of the most powerful explosive chemicals known to us is PETN , which contains nitro groups which are similar to that in TNT and the nitroglycerin in dynamite.

But the presence of more of these nitro groups means it explodes with more power. It is now also used in the exploding-bridgewire detonators in nuclear weapons.