brisanssi

Brisansi, also spelled brisanssi in Finnish, is a technical term used in explosives engineering to describe the rapid pressure rise produced by the detonation of a high explosive and the resulting shattering effect on surrounding materials. The concept focuses on how quickly and intensely the detonation releases energy into the surrounding medium, which influences the observed impulse and damage.

The word derives from the French brisant, meaning “shattering.” In practice, brisansi is considered together with other explosive properties such as the velocity of detonation and the stability of the compound. Explosives with high brisansi produce a strong, instantaneous overpressure and are more capable of fragmentation, while those with lower brisansi release energy more gradually, resulting in different blasting effects.

Measurement and evaluation of brisansi are typically conducted through standardized tests that compare the relative shattering effect of different charges on reference targets. While exact procedures vary, the general aim is to quantify the instantaneous force and fragmentation potential of the explosive, providing a basis for selecting an appropriate material for a given application.

Applications and significance: Brisansi helps engineers tailor explosive performance to specific tasks, such as demolition, mining, or military uses, where the desired outcome ranges from precise cutting to broad fragmentation. It is balanced with other considerations like safety, sensitivity, and handling requirements to minimize accidental initiation and unintended damage.

See also: Velocity of detonation, explosive physics, fragmentation, shock wave.