detonated

Detonated is the past tense and past participle of detonate, meaning to cause an explosive device to undergo detonation. In this sense, detonated describes an event in which an explosive material experiences a rapid, high‑order explosion that generates a shock wave, high pressure, and intense heat. The term is used in military, mining, demolition, and safety contexts.

Detonation is the rapid propagation of a shock front through an energetic material, with the chemical reaction occurring behind the front. This is different from deflagration, where combustion spreads at subsonic speeds. Detonations often require a booster or initiator to produce a reliable transition to a detonation wave, and the effect depends on confinement, temperature, and material properties.

Detonation velocity is a key characteristic of a detonating explosive, representing the speed of the reaction front. For common high explosives, detonation velocities typically range from about 6,000 to 9,000 meters per second. Examples include TNT at around 6,900 m/s, RDX near 8,750 m/s, and PETN or HMX in the 8,000–9,000 m/s range. Detonation also yields very high pressures and temperatures, contributing to fragmentation and energy release that can affect surrounding structures.

In practice, devices are designed with initiators to reliably produce detonation, while safety, handling, storage, and disposal are subject to stringent regulations. A substance that has detonated is typically considered spent or expended energetic material, requiring appropriate disposal and remediation when applicable. See also detonation, high explosive, explosive safety.