phlegmatizer

9.9

A chemical added to an explosive to make it safer to handle and transport

noun
/ˈflɛɡməˌtaɪzər/

Specialized

: flegmatizador

The addition of a phlegmatizer can significantly improve the safety of transporting industrial explosives.

Examples

Without a phlegmatizer, the explosive compound would be too unstable for commercial use.
Scientists tested several chemicals to find the most effective phlegmatizer for the new propellant system.
A phlegmatizer is essential for safe transport of explosives.
The phlegmatizer helps reduce the risk of accidental detonation.
Scientists tested several chemicals to find the most effective phlegmatizer for the new propellant system.
The addition of a phlegmatizer can significantly improve the safety of transporting industrial explosives.
Without a phlegmatizer, the explosive compound would be too unstable for commercial use.

How Desensitizing

phlegmatizer

Specialized

9.9

diluent

Specialized

1 9.0

Surface Forms

phlegmatizer singular

phlegmatizers plural

Morphology

phlegmatizer = phlegmatize (opaque) = phlegmat + ize + er

The agentive formation is regular (phlegmatize + -er), but the verb and root are technical and not predictable for general learners, so the meaning is not derivable from common vocabulary.

Etymology

Phlegmatizer comes from the old word phlegm and the adjective phlegmatic, which came to mean 'calm' or slow to react, so a helpful way to remember it is to imagine adding something that makes an explosive 'calm down'. A phlegmatizer is therefore a substance that 'reduces sensitivity' in explosives, making them safer to handle.