Brisance is the shattering capability of a
high explosive, determined mainly by its
detonation pressure. The term can be traced from the
French verb "briser" (to break or shatter) ultimately derived from the
Celtic word "brissim" (to break). Brisance is of practical importance for determining the effectiveness of an explosion in
fragmenting shells,
bomb casings,
grenades, structures, and the like. The sand crush test and
Trauzl lead block test are commonly used to determine the relative brisance in comparison to
TNT (which is considered a standard reference for many purposes).
