C4 Chemical Structure

[iancampbell]

C4 is used because it's a very stable explosive; it's virtually impossible to set it off by accident. Nothing short of a blasting cap will do the job. Blasting caps contain explosives that have heavy metals (mercury or lead) in their chemical structure.

If it's shear explosive power that one is after, nothing beats hydrogen reacting with oxygen per unit of mass. Per unit of volume, it's diamond (in colloid form to aid combustion) with oxygen.

Hydrogen/fluorine reacts with about 20% more energy. Admittedly, the molecular mass of fluorine is a tad higher and H2/F2 doesn't form a metastable mixture as does H2/O2, but the energy is there.

I'd guesstimate that a fine powder of sodium or potassium (probably the former) with fluorine would be similarly... spectacular. And aluminium/oxygen, with the aluminium in powder form, is similarly energetic with the advantage that it does form a metastable mix. (Blowing fine aluminium powder into a Bunsen flame is an interesting experience. )