Class A Explosives

An explosive is any material, the common purpose of which is to function by explosion. An explosion is an instantaneous release of energy, usually in the form of gas or heat, which causes destruction of surrounding property. DOT evaluates a material for assignment to this classification by testing its sensitivity to heat, impact, friction and shock waves, and by measuring the resulting violence of any reaction that may be triggered. Explosives are ranked in descending order of violence with Class A being most violent, followed by Class B and then Class C. Class A explosives include those materials we commonly think of as bombs and explosives, i.e. dynamite (TNT) and nitroglycerin. A final class of explosives is identified as "forbidden" explosives and these have been determined to be too dangerous for transport.

The following materials have been classified as Class A or High Explosives. This denotes a material which may explode en masse, releasing sufficient energy over an extremely short time period to create a shock wave capable of causing structural damage.

Examples of Class A Explosives

ammonium picrate	cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine
diaminotrinitrobenzene	diaminotrinitromethylene tetranitramine
diazodinitrophenol	dinitroethyleneurea
dinitroglycerine	dinitrophenoxy starch
2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine	2,2-dinitropropyl acrylate
dipicrylsulfone	ethyl-4,4-dinitropentanoate
fulminate of mercury	hexanite
hexanitrostilbene	hexagen
hydrazinium nitrate	hydrazoic acid
lead mannite	mercury oxalate
mercury tartrate	methyl-4,4-dinitropentanoate
nitroglyceride	nitroguanidiene
nitrourea	picramic acid
picramide	picryl chloride
picryl fluoride	picryl sulfonic acid
potassium dinitrobenzoforoxane	potassium nitroaminotetrazole
silver tetrazene	sodalol
sodium amatol	sodium dinitro-o-cresolate
sodium picramate	styphnic acid
2,4,6-tetranitro-N-methylaniline	tetranitrocarbazole
tetrazene	triethylene glycol dinitrate
trinitratenitrocellulose	trimethylolethane trinitrate
trinitro-m-cresol	trinitroaniline
trinitroanisole	trinitrobenzene
trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid	trinitrobenzoic acid
trinitrochlorobenzene	trinitrocresol
bis-trinitroethyl carbonate	trinitroethylformal
bis-trinitroethylnitramine	trinitroethyl-o-carbonate
trinitroethyl-o-formate	trinitrofluorenone
trinitronaphthalene	trinitrophenetol
trinitrophenol	trinitrophenylmethylnitramine
trinitroresorcinol	trinitrotoluene
zirconium picramate