In article , DarkMatter wrote:
On Tue, 23 Mar 2004 09:50:00 -0600, Cecil Moore
Gave us:

John Michael Williams wrote:
I share this skepticism. Burning TNT probably would produce 10x more
free energy than detonating it.

When you detonate it, what happens to the 90% lost energy?
Fails to actually detonate?

First, tell me how one "burns TNT". It is a high explosive. I
think its "burn rate" would be pretty fast, and not manageable.

That guy's empty skull cavity has a lot of free space in it.

I know that TNT does not detonate easily. It may burn rather fast like
nitrocellulose or moderately like the stuff they make road flares with if
you just ignite it.

Some other high explosives are also capable of burning at moderate
rates. I have heard of C4 being somewhat usable as a fuel to heat food
with, easy to get burning without detonating.

I remmber reading in an encyclopedia that nitroglycerin can burn with a
quiet flame in a wick, but I would not try that one. They do mix a small
amount of nitroglycerin with nitrocellulose in some "smokeless powders",
and that others have just nitrocellulose.

Since TNT does not contain enough oxygen in its nitro groups for
complete combustion, burning it will get you some more energy than is
released by a detonation of it.

- Don Klipstein )