Detasheet


Detasheet is a flexible rubberized explosive, somewhat similar to plastic explosives, originally manufactured by DuPont. Its ingredients are PETN with nitrocellulose and a binder.

Properties

It was manufactured in thin flexible sheets with a rubbery texture, technically known as a rubberized explosive and is generally colored either reddish/orange or green. In use, it is typically cut to shape for precision engineering charges.
Compared to other explosives detasheet is very stable. It is detonated with a blasting cap or primercord but not by small-arms fire, heat, water, pressure, or concussion. Detasheet is relatively expensive compared to other explosives.

Ingredients

Detasheet C, the last and most common version produced, was made up of 63% PETN, 8% nitrocellulose, and 29% acetyl tributyl citrate, an organic plasticizer.

Production status

DuPont ceased manufacturing explosives in the 1990s and the trademark is now owned by Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Defense Company, which now sells a very similar explosive sheet called Primasheet.

Deta Flex

A military variant of Detasheet, called Deta Flex, was manufactured in a single thickness and olive green colored. Deta Flex contains a higher percentage of PETN.

LX-02-1

A version of Deta Flex is manufactured for Department of Energy research purposes, colored blue and manufactured in various thicknesses. LX-02-1 contains 73.5% PETN, 17.6% butyl rubber, 6.9% ATBC, and 2.0% Cab-o-sil.