AbstractThe world's explosive industry is changing. New non‐nitroglycerin explosives of different sensitivities and physical characteristics are being developed. Many slurry explosives are mixed and pumped at elevated temperatures, and powder explosives will often be exposed to higher than ambient temperatures in the process equipment. explosives? Is it possible that different fractions of a powder explosive have different sensitivities? Which test methods can we use to evaluate sensitivity? Will the results tell us something we can apply in practical safety evaluations of explosives and process equipment? These are some of the questions we have asked. In this note some results from our work on sensitivity testing are reported. What effect has temperature on the sensitivity of “insensitive” explosives? Is i t possible that different fractions of a powder explosive have different sensitivities? Which test methods can we use to evaluate sensitivity? Will the results tell us something we can apply in practical safety evaluations of explosives and process equipment? These are some of the questions we have asked. In this note some results from our work on sensitivity testing are reported.