Napalm
Overview
Napalm is a thickening
/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline
or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device
, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon. The portmanteau Napalm was derived from the names of two of the constituents of the gel: naphthenic acid and palmitic acid.
"Napalm B" is the more modern version of napalm and, although distinctly different in its chemical composition, it is often referred to simply as "napalm".
Colloquially, napalm has been used as the generic name of several flammable liquids used in warfare, often forms of jellied gasoline
, such as to be expelled by flamethrower
s in infantry
and armored warfare.
Napalm B is chemically distinct from its predecessor Napalm.
Thickening
In cooking, thickening is the process of increasing the viscosity of a liquid either by reduction, or by the addition of a thickening agent, typically containing starch....
/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon. The portmanteau Napalm was derived from the names of two of the constituents of the gel: naphthenic acid and palmitic acid.
"Napalm B" is the more modern version of napalm and, although distinctly different in its chemical composition, it is often referred to simply as "napalm".
Colloquially, napalm has been used as the generic name of several flammable liquids used in warfare, often forms of jellied gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
, such as to be expelled by flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
s in infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and armored warfare.
Napalm B is chemically distinct from its predecessor Napalm.
Unanswered Questions
