BOTTLED GAS EXPLOSIVES 

Bottled gas, such as butane for refilling lighters, propane for propane stoves
or for bunsen burners, can be used to produce a powerful explosion. To
make such a device, all that a simple-minded anarchist would have to do
would be to take his container of bottled gas and place it above a can of
Sterno or other gelatinized fuel, light the fuel and run. Depending on the
fuel used, and on the thickness of the fuel container, the liquid gas will boil
and expand to the point of bursting the container in about five minutes. 

In theory, the gas would immediately be ignited by the burning gelatinized
fuel, producing a large fireball and explosion. Unfortunately, the bursting of
the bottled gas container often puts out the fuel, thus preventing the
expanding gas from igniting. By using a metal bucket half filled with
gasoline, however, the chances of ignition are better, since the gasoline is
less likely to be extinguished. Placing the canister of bottled gas on a bed
of burning charcoal soaked in gasoline would probably be the most effective
way of securing ignition of the expanding gas, since although the bursting
of the gas container may blow out the flame of the gasoline, the burning
charcoal should immediately re-ignite it. Nitrous oxide, hydrogen, propane,
acetylene, or any other flammable gas will do nicely. 

During the recent gulf war, fuel/air bombs were touted as being second only
to nuclear weapons in their devastating effects. These are basically similar
to the above devices, except that an explosive charge is used to rupture
the fuel container and disperse it over a wide area. a second charge is used
to detonate the fuel. The reaction is said to produce a massive shockwave
and to burn all the oxygen in a large area, causing suffocation. 

Another benefit of a fuel-air explosive is that the gas will seep into fortified
bunkers and other partially-sealed spaces, so a large bomb placed in a
building would result in the destruction of the majority of surrounding
rooms, rendering it structurally unsound. Exodus '94 

Fun with dry ice... LOTS of fun with dry ice. (from the Usenet.)


There is no standard formula for a dry ice bomb, however a generic form is
as follows: 

Take a 2-liter soda bottle, empty it completely, then add about 3/4 Lb of
Dry Ice (crushed works best) and (optional) a quantity of water. 

Depending on the condition of the bottle, the weather, and the amount and
temperature of the bottle the bomb will go off in 30 seconds - 5 minutes.
Without any water added, the 2-liter bottles will go often in 3-7 minutes if
dropped into a warm river, and in 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours in open air. 

The explosion sounds equivalent to an M-100. _Plastic_ 16 oz. soda bottles
and 1 liter bottles work almost as well as do the 2-liters, however glass
bottles aren't nearly as loud, and can produce dangerous shrapnel. 

Remember, these are LOUD! A classmate of mine set up 10 bottles in a
nearby park without adding water. After the first two went off (there was
about 10 minutes between explosions) the Police arrived and spent the next
hour trying to find the guy who they thought was setting off M-100's all
around them...