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3D-printed explosive can't detonate unless filled with fluid

An explosive filled with gaps can only detonate after a liquid is poured into it, which could make it unusually safe for transportation and storage

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

31 March 2023

Transporting explosives can be dangerous

Transporting explosives can be dangerous

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A Swiss cheese-like structure made from an explosive material offers a promising way to safely store and transport explosives. The 3D-printed design detonates only when the holes in it are filled with a liquid.

Explosives are useful in industries like mining, but they are also hazardous because there is always a risk of accidental detonation, like when they are exposed to heat or shaken up in transport. Alexander Mueller at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and his colleagues created an explosive that cannot …

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