Abstract: An oil and gas well shaped charge perforator capable of providing an exothermic reaction after detonation is provided, comprising a housing, a high explosive, and a reactive liner where the high explosive is positioned between the reactive liner and the housing. The reactive liner is produced from a composition which is capable of sustaining an exothermic reaction during the formation of the cutting jet. The composition may be selected from any known formulation which is suitable for use in an oil and gas well perforator, typically the composition will comprise at least one metal and at least one non-metal, wherein the non-metal is selected from a metal oxide, or any non-metal from Group III or Group IV or at least two metals such as to form an intermetallic reaction. Typically at least one of the metals in the invention may be selected from Al, Ce, Li, Mg, Mo, Ni, Nb, Pb, Pd, Ta, Ti, Zn or Zr.

Abstract: Silver and mercury 5-nitrotetrazole salts are prepared by forming an acid solution of a complex of cupric 5-nitrotetrazole with an aliphatic chelating amine and adding to the acid solution a solution of a soluble silver or mercury salt. The silver or mercury 5-nitrotetrazole salt is precipitated and filtered off. The cupric 5-nitrotetrazole amine complex may first be decomposed by reacting with a mixture of nitric acid and a nitrite and the silver or mercury salt solution then added to precipitate the corresponding 5-nitrotetrazole salt. The silver and mercury nitrotetrazole salts are useful as explosives.