brisant

1. (of an explosion or explosive) Having a shattering effect.Examples: "The use of gun-cotton proper (trinitrocellulose) could not be thought of, owing to the brisant action of this body, but it was found that collodion-wool (dinitrocellulose, soluble gun-cotton), which was less brisant, could be converted into a nearly homogeneous mass which satisfied many of the requirements of a smoke-free powder, but it was still so brisant when used alone as to produce too high gas pressures and too irregular initial velocities."; "1959, Mitchel H. Bertram, William V. Feller, Memorandum 5-24-59L: A Simple Method for Determining Heat Transfer, Skin Friction, and Boundary-Layer Thickness for Hypersonic Laminar Boundary-Layer Flows in a Pressure Gradient, NASA, 5, At the start of the run a shattering or "brisant" detonation occurred in the line between the oxidant control valve (number 5, fig. 2(a)) and the oxidant tank. […] The propellant tank showed evidence of high internal pressure but no brisant detonation."; "Two charges should be used: a cratering charge, and a small charge of a brisant explosive."not-comparable