Single crystals of the explosives pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine (HMX) were fractured in vacuum while viewed by particle detectors strongly biased on separate positive and negative charge. Particles were detected on both detectors during and following fracture. Previous results on polymers suggest we are detecting electrons and positive ions. The observation of fracto-emission from these molecular crystals implies that crack propagation in such materials can break intramolecular bonds and the subsequent chemical reactions that lead to particle emission can continue for several minutes on the freshly created fracture surfaces.
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Miles et al. (1982) studied this question.
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