What are the contents of a grenade? What process(or phenomenon) makes it burst when exposed to the atmosphere?
Answers
There are many polymers that can be used for the fragmentation grenade casing depending on the strength and processing requirements (e.g., polypropylene, polyamides, polyacetals, polycarbonates, polyesters, polyethers, aldehyde/phenolic condensates, melamine resins, and urea resins). A variety of metals and shapes are used for the fragments and the casing. The molding method can also be varied.
The steel fragments are obtained by cutting wire with a gauge of about 0.09 in (2.2 mm) to form pieces, each having a length of about 0.09 in (2.2 mm) with subsequent round-hammering of the wire pieces and hardening of the hammered particles.
The explosive component of a grenade consists of: a high-explosive main charge (e.g., Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil [ANFO]), a primer or booster charge (e.g., Pentolite or Cyclotol), and a primary initiator (e.g., a blasting cap, electronic detonator or Low Energy Detonating Cord [LEDC]).
Once the soldier throws the grenade, the safety lever releases, the striker throws the safety lever away from the grenade body as it rotates to detonate the primer. The primer explodes and ignites the fuse (sometimes called the delay element). The fuse burns down to the detonator, which explodes the main charge.