amatol

A group of high explosives consisting of mixtures of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and ammonium nitrate. It was much used in World War 1 to economize on TNT, but later fell out of favour because of such faults as the absorption of undesirable water from the air (hygroscopicity).

Amatol is a highly explosive material, a mixture of TNT and ammonium nitrate, and used as an explosive in military weapons.

Mixture ratios range from 80 percent ammonium nitrate/20 percent TNT, down to 50/50. Amatol 80/20 (used in the Bangalore Torpedo used in the Vietnam War) can be identified on detonation by the white smoke it produces.

Its color ranges from white to slightly yellow or pinkish brown, depending on the mixture used, and remains soft for long periods of storage. Mercury fulminate and other high explosives are often used as detonators.

It was invented, and widely used, during the First World War as a means of making the production of TNT go further.

British X class midget submarines planted explosive charges beneath the German battleship Tirpitz in September 1943.