Let's start a list of stuff that can explode, "given just the right conditions", to help out the retards (apologies to retards, for comparing them to ^H^H^H):
Actually, it's pretty simple. If it burns or oxidizes, and you powder it fine enough and mix it with an oxidizer (or in the case of oxidizers, a fuel), it will probably explode. Hydrogen. Flour. Fertilizer. Sawdust. Natural gas. Sugar. Bird doo. Steel.
Fortunately, the law clearly says "primary or intended use". Of the items listed, the only ones whose primary or intended use is to explode are gasoline and diesel fuel. I see where gasoline is exempted, but what about diesel fuel? How is that legal to own or use in an IC engine without a permit fo some sort?
In an ICE, gasoline does not explode, it burns. If it DOES explode, you get "knocking" Not really the intended use of gasoline. Diesel on the other hand does explode in an ICE.
The use of the word explode is a fundamental problem with these discussions. Gasoline and diesel fuels intended purpose is to combust in the engine. They do not detonate. They certainly combust rapidly, and one could think of them as "exploding" in the sense that they combust extremely rapidly generating hot gas that can do work. "Detonation" in it's use as an automotive term is misleading, the proper term is preignition, and as mentioned already it is simply ignition of the mixture way ahead of time before the piston reaches TDC (although ignition a little ahead of TDC is commonplace, but controlled by ignition timing), causing terrific stresses on the engine. Diesel fuel is ignited by the heat generated by rapid compression.
All fuels if allowed to react with an oxidizer in a vessel which cannot maintain integrity at the pressure generated, will "explode". Grain silos full of organic dust and air can explode due to the pressure created by combustion of the grain dust. Propane tanks can explode if the vessel fails, without the benefit of combustion of the propane. Balloons explode if you poke them with a pin. The list goes on.. endlessly and in tiresome fashion. And really has little bearing on the issue of compounded propellants.
Even if you were right, it's still deflagrates, which the BATFE says is enough to be regulated. So the question stands, why isn't diesel fuel regulated as an explosive?
The agency is clueful about one thing: touching (regulating) some things will bring them pain. In this case, the transportation lobbies would buy some congressmen and have diesel taken off the list.
why isn't diesel fuel regulated as an explosive? because in order to deflagrate in any manner that is powerful enough to cause damage it requires an oxydizer, such as amonium nitrate, which is usualy regulated.
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