Explosives Engineers Are Masters Of Physics, Mathematics, Landmines, And Torpedos

Engineered explosives are the elephant in the room when the most powerful and dangerous weapons in history are discussed. There are three types of engineered explosives: mechanical, nuclear, and chemical. Explosives engineers are well-versed in all three and ensure that they work correctly.

Explosion engineers need to thoroughly understand physics, mathematics, chemistry, and engineering to create explosives like bombs, landmines, torpedos, etc. There are a variety of applications of engineered explosives. These can be used for various civilian activities such as mining, construction, and manufacture; warfare as well. The recent conflict between the Russian and Ukrainian forces has seen the use of many engineered explosives, which resulted in several casualties, and numbers are still growing.

Further in this post will discuss;

Explosives Engineers: Job Description, Income, Qualification
List of highest paying cities for Explosives Engineer
Global Industrial Explosives Market, By Region
Gender Gap Report
COVID-19 Impact On Explosive Market
What are the most explosive non-nuclear explosives ever made?

Explosives Engineers: Job Description, Income, Qualification

Explosives engineering is science and engineering where professionals learn about designing, developing, manufacturing, testing explosives, examining the behavior,, and ensuring that explosives work correctly.

Explosive Engineer’s Job Description

Explosives and Control systems, objectives, and targets
Explosives audit protocols and standards
Find the outcome of case investigations and submit reports for the same.
Review independently severe incidents and accidents
Audits and investigations.
Ensure correct and safe transport, storage, handling, and destruction of explosives
Provide training and coaching to explosives receivers and handlers
Ensuring the daily destruction of old and excess explosives,
Conduct searches for unsecured/abandoned explosives,
Conduct explosives related accident/incidents investigation,
Ensure statutory compliance

Explosive Engineer’s Qualification

These are just the essential job responsibilities for an explosive engineer. According to a recent survey, 49% of explosive specialists have a bachelor’s degree, only 2% have a master’s degree in advanced education, 29% have a High School Diploma, and 14% have an Associate’s Degree. Although most Explosives Engineers have a college degree, it is feasible to become one with only a high school diploma or a GED.

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Most blasting professionals have stated time-management skills, mechanical ability, and physical strength in their curriculum vitae. Many have previous experience in electrician Helper or Owner/operator roles.

The average annual pay for an Explosives Engineer is $61,782 a year. To make calculation easy, they earn approximately $29.70 an hour, which amounts to $1,188/week or $5,148/month. Experts predict that by 2028 career the job profile will see a rise of 7% resulting in 159,800 job openings across the United States.

List of highest paying cities for Explosives Engineer

San Francisco, CA($75,843)
Fremont, CA($72,807)
San Jose, CA($71,117)
Oakland, CA($70,340)
Tanaina, AK($70,143)
Wasilla, AK($70,142)
Sunnyvale, CA($69,272)
Hayward, CA($68,867)
Jackson, WY($68,499)
Norwalk, CT($68,406)

Global Industrial Explosives Market, By Region

North America
U.S.
Canada
Mexico
Europe
Germany
Russia
France
India
China
Japan
UAE
Chile
Brazil
South Africa

Gender Gap Report

According to Payscale’s 2022 State of the Gender Pay Gap Report, women earn 82¢ for every $1 made by men. However, for Explosives Engineer, the gender gap is as low as 3%, i.e., for every $1 Earned By Men, Women Earn 97¢. The average male income of an Explosive engineer is $63,624, and for a female Explosive engineer is $61,864.

We have provided you with all the essential information related to what an explosive engineer is, How much an explosive engineer makes and How to become an explosives engineer.

COVID-19 Impact On Explosive Market

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a worldwide halt and engulfed the world. The entire global economy was affected, and the explosion sector is no different from it. According to Statista, the Explosive global market stood approximately at US$ 3.94 trillion in 2019 and experienced a slowdown. Although the market is recovering right now, exports reached $300 billion in the USA, and imports amounted to $295 billion.

This is a clear indicator that the markets worldwide are recovering, and a direct impact can be seen in the Healthcare/ICT/Chemical industries. This brings out good news resulting in a large market for the Industrial Explosives Market.

Let’s Have A Look At The Key Market Players

AECI Ltd.
Austin Powder Company
EPC Groupe
Incitec Pivot limited
Irish Industrial Explosives Ltd.
Keltech Energies Ltd.
MaxamCorp. International SL
NOF Corporation
Orica Ltd.
Sigdo Koppers S.A.
Solar Industries India Ltd.

Let’s dig deep into the topic and learn more about explosives.

What are the most explosive non-nuclear explosives ever made?

Trinitrotoluene (TNT)

Trinitrotoluene, commonly known as TNT, is one of the most popular non-nuclear explosives globally. Although it was first used as a dye, its explosive properties were discovered later in 1891 by German scientist Carl Häussermann. TNT instantly became popular as it is easy and convenient to handle and doesn’t explode spontaneously.

The most significant advantage of TNT is that it can be melted and poured into vessels. But as the explosive falls under the nitrogen chemical category, it will only explode with a detonator. This property of TNT makes it ideal for controlled explosions such as mines and even war explosives.

Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP)

Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) is an explosive that belongs to the peroxide group and is highly unstable. TATP is 80% stronger than TNT and for the very reason known as the “mother of satan.” TATP’s highly unstable O2 bonds make it less stable and prone to spontaneously exploding.

Unlike TNT, which needs a detonator to explode, TATP can explode even with a firm shock or knock, thus making them difficult to use for mine blasting and even as a warhead. London 7/7 bombings in 2005, the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used were made from TATP.

Royal Demolition Explosive (RDX)

Royal Demolition Explosive, also known as RDX, is another explosive that gets its explosion properties from nitrogen-nitrogen bonds rather than oxygen. The lack of an unstable nitrogen-nitrogen bond in TNT makes it a less powerful explosive than the RDX. The nitrogen atoms within the RDX always want to come together to produce nitrogen gas and break the nitrogen-nitrogen bonds. This is one of the biggest reasons why RDX is more explosive in nature.

RDX is a powerful explosive compound and is often mixed with other chemicals to make it less sensitive and used in controlled explosions. This explosive is common in demolishing buildings, blasting mines, controlled explosions, and even in war explosives.

Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN)

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) is another powerful explosive from the nitro group that has similar properties to TNT. The presence of nitro groups gives this explosive more explosion power than TNT. These compounds need a combination of TNT or RDX as it is quite challenging to detonate them alone.

Although PETN was used in World War II, it is popular in modern wars and modern-day explosive weapons. PETN is also used in the exploding-bridge wire detonators in nuclear weapons. And that’s not it, due to its low toxicity and medicinal properties, it is also used to treat angina.

Azidoazide azide

Azidoazide azide is the most potent explosive founded by a German researcher Thomas Klapötke’s group as recently as 2011. It is a nitrogen explosive that has 14 nitrogen atoms that are bonded with one another, making them prone to explosion. Due to highly unstable nitrogen-nitrogen bonds, it creates a huge amount of heat and powerful blasts. Even while testing, it blew up many expensive testing equipment, which is one of the biggest reasons why this hasn’t found any use yet.

This was all for explosive engineers and blasting professionals. We hope to provide you with valuable information about blasting professionals and what’s new in the global industrial explosives market. If you want to gain more information on the same, you can check out Skillings.net.