Trauzl lead block test

The Trauzl lead block test, also called the Trauzl test, or just Trauzl, is a test used to measure the strength of explosive materials. It was developed by Isidor Trauzl in 1885.

The test is performed by loading a 10-gram foil-wrapped sample of the explosive into a hole drilled into a lead block with specific dimensions and properties (a soft lead cylinder, 200 mm diameter and 200 mm high, with the hole 125 mm deep, and 25 mm diameter).^[1] The hole is then topped up with sand, and the sample is detonated electrically. After detonation, the volume increase of the cavity is measured. The result, given in cm³, is called the Trauzl number of the explosive.

The Trauzl test is not useful for some modern higher-powered explosives as their power often cracks or otherwise ruptures the lead block, leaving no hole to measure.^[2]

A variant of the test uses an aluminium block to avoid exposure of participants to lead-related hazards.^{[citation needed]}

Explosive power of chemical explosives by Trauzl number:

Explosive	Trauzl rating (cm³/g)
Dinitrophenol (DNP)	24
Acetone peroxide	25[3]
RDX (C4/Hexogen)	48[3]
HMTD	33[3]
HMX (octogen)	48[3]
Nitroglycerin	52[3]
Pentaerythritol tetranitrate	52.3[3]
Trinitrotoluene (TNT)	30[3]

1. ^ Krehl, Peter O. K. (2008-09-24). History of Shock Waves, Explosions and Impact: A Chronological and Biographical Reference. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-3-540-30421-0.
2. ^ Lepper, Bessie; F. Everett Reed; William E. Gordon (September 1955). "Lead-Block Test for Explosives". Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 47 (9): 1794–1800. doi:10.1021/ie50549a028.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} J. Köhler, R. Meyer, A. Homburg: Explosivstoffe. 10., vollständig überarbeitete Auflage. Wiley-VCH, 2008, ISBN 978-3-527-32009-7.

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