Semtex
Semtex is a plastic explosive from the Czech Republic.
Semtex is a explosive compound which is made up of both RDX and PETN.
Semtex was invented in 1966 by Stanislav Brebera, a chemist at VCHZ Synthesia (now called Explosia).
Semtex is a relatively safe plastic explosive.
Semtex will not normally detonate in response to fire or impact. Semtex is normally detonated with the use of a blasting cap.
Libya imported 700 tons of Semtex between 1975 and 1981 and used just 1.1 pounds of Semtex to destroy a Pan-Am Boeing 747 over Lockerbie Scotland and kill 270 people.
Semtex Ingredients
The most common form of Semtex is Semtex A, which is used for military and commercial blasting.
Semtex A Composition
| Explosive | RDX: 94.3% PETN: 5.7% |
| Plasticizer | di-n-octyl phthalate, tri-n-butyl citrate |
| Binder | styrene-butadiene rubber |
| Antioxidant | N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine |
| Dye | Sudan I (red-orange) |
| Taggant | ethylene glycol dinitrate |
Semtex H is used for industrial hardening applications.
Semtex H Composition
| Explosive | RDX: 49.8% PETN: 50.2% |
| Plasticizer | di-n-octyl phthalate, tri-n-butyl citrate |
| Binder | styrene-butadiene rubber |
| Antioxidant | N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine |
| Dye | Sudan IV |
| Taggant | ethylene glycol dinitrate |
Books on Semtex
Homemade Semtex : C-4’s Ugly Sister
This first book focusing on Semtex, the plastique most widely used by terrorists around the world, sets the record straight about this powerful but misunderstood explosive. Find out what it will and won’t do, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it compares to its U.S. counterpart, C-4.
Be sure to check out the Equipment section for Pyrotechnics.
Semtex,