# Astrolite

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Family of explosives

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**Astrolite** is the trade name of a family of [explosives](/source/Explosives), invented by chemist [Gerald Hurst](/source/Gerald_Hurst) in the 1960s during his employment with the Atlas Powder Company. The Astrolite family consists of two compounds, Astrolite G and Astrolite A. Both are two-part liquid-state [high explosive](/source/High_explosive) mixtures, composed of [ammonium nitrate](/source/Ammonium_nitrate) oxidizer and [hydrazine](/source/Hydrazine) rocket fuel. The explosives were extensively studied, manufactured, and used in many countries because of their advantages of high energy, excellent performance, and wide application. They still find some use in commercial and civil blasting applications, but have mostly been superseded by cheaper and safer compounds, largely due to the expense and exceptionally poisonous nature of the [hydrazine](/source/Hydrazine) component.

## Astrolite G

Astrolite G, the most common type of Astrolite, is a mixture of [ammonium nitrate](/source/Ammonium_nitrate) and [hydrazine](/source/Hydrazine) at a ratio of 2:1, measured in weight, forming a clear, viscous liquid approximately the consistency of motor oil. It is a relatively stable ([secondary](/source/Secondary_explosive)) high explosive compound, requiring a [blasting cap](/source/Blasting_cap) to detonate. It has a detonation velocity of approximately 8,600 m/s, twice the explosive strength of [TNT](/source/Trinitrotoluene). It has been widely referred to as the "world's most powerful non-nuclear explosive", caused largely by a comparison of Astrolite G's detonation velocity to that of first and second-generation high explosives such as [nitroglycerine](/source/Nitroglycerine) and [TNT](/source/Trinitrotoluene). Current-generation high explosive compounds such as [PETN](/source/PETN) and [RDX](/source/RDX) can feature comparable detonation velocities and [brisance](/source/Brisance) to Astrolite G.

## Astrolite A

Astrolite A, a secondary (and less common) type of Astrolite, is [sensitized](/source/Chemical_explosive#Sensitizer) by the addition of finely powdered [aluminium](/source/Aluminium) to the Astrolite G mixture. Though it has a lower detonation velocity (approximately 7,600 m/s) than Astrolite G, the addition of the aluminium increases both its density and [explosive brisance](/source/Brisance), moderately increasing its overall effectiveness/[RE Factor](/source/Relative_effectiveness_factor).

## Persistency

A notable characteristic of the Astrolite family is its remarkable degree of persistency for a liquid explosive compound. Due to its low volatility, it can be dispersed in an area, be absorbed by the soil, and still retain its full explosive characteristics for a period of approximately 4 days. This has shown to be true even when rainwater had also been absorbed by the soil.

## References

## Further reading

- [The Controversial Chem Lab](https://web.archive.org/web/20050325094153/http://www.roguesci.org/megalomania/)

- [Yarchive astrolite usenet postings page including posts by Gerald Hurst, the inventor](http://yarchive.net/explosives/astrolite.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Astrolite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrolite) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrolite?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.