A deflagration is characterized by a subsonic flame propagation velocity, typically far below 100

metres per second (220 mph), and relatively modest overpressures, say below 0.5 bars (7.3 psi).
The main mechanism of combustion propagation is of a flame front that moves forward through
the gas mixture - in technical terms the reaction zone (chemical combustion) progresses through
the medium by processes of diffusion of heat and mass. In its most benign form, a deflagration
may simply be a flash fire.

In contrast, a detonation is characterized by supersonic flame propagation velocities, perhaps up

to 2,000 metres per second (4,500 mph), and substantial overpressures, up to 20 bars (290 psi).
The main mechanism of detonation propagation is of a powerful pressure wave that compresses
the unburnt gas ahead of the wave to a temperature above the autoignition temperature. In
technical terms, the reaction zone (chemical combustion) is a self-driven shock wave where the
reaction zone and the shock are coincident, and the chemical reaction is initiated by the
compressive heating caused by the shock wave. The process is similar to ignition in a Diesel
engine, but much more sudden and violent

Combustion (burning) is a process by which energy is released. Deflagration and detonation are
two ways energy may be released. If the combustion process propagates outward at subsonic
speeds (slower than the speed of sound), it's a deflagration. If the explosion moves outward at
supersonic speeds (faster than the speed of sound), it's detonation.

While the action of deflagration is to push the air in front it, objects do not explode because the
rate of combustion is relatively slow. Because the action of detonation is so rapid, however,
detonations result in shattering or pulverizing objects in their path.

Deflagration

The definition of deflagration, according to the Collins Dictionary is "a fire in which a flame
travels rapidly, but at subsonic speed, through a gas. Deflagration is an explosion in which the
speed of burning is lower than the speed of sound in the surroundings."

Everyday fire and most controlled explosions are examples of deflagration. The flame
propagation velocity is less than 100 meters per second (usually much lower), and the
overpressure is less than 0.5 bar. Because it is controllable, deflagration can be harnessed to do
work. Examples of deflagrations include:

 internal combustion engine (used in any vehicle that uses fossil fuels such as gasoline, oil, or
diesel fuel)
 gas stove (fueled with natural gas)
 fireworks and other pyrotechnics
 gunpowder in a firearm
Deflagration burns outward radially and requires fuel to spread. Thus, for example, a wildfire
starts with a single spark and then expands in a circular pattern if there is fuel available. If there
is no fuel, the fire simply burns out. The speed at which deflagration moves depends upon the
quality of the available fuel.

Detonation

The word "detonation" means "to thunder down," or explode. When a decomposition reaction or
combination reaction releases a lot of energy in a very short span of time, an explosion may
occur. A detonation is a dramatic, often destructive form of an explosion. It is characterized by a
supersonic exothermic front (in excess of 100 m/s up to 2000 m/s) and significant overpressure
(up to 20 bars). The front drives a shockwave ahead of it.

Although technically a form of oxidation reaction, a detonation doesn't require combination with
oxygen. Unstable molecules release considerable energy when they split and recombine into new
forms. Examples of chemicals that produce detonations include any high explosives, such as:

 TNT (trinitrotoluene)
 nitroglycerine
 dynamite
 picric acid
 C4

Detonations, of course, can be used in explosive weapons such as nuclear bombs. They are also
(in a much more controlled manner) in mining, road construction, and the destruction of
buildings or structures.

Deflagration to Detonation Transition

In some situations, a subsonic flame may accelerate into a supersonic flame. This deflagration to
detonation is difficult to predict but occurs most often when eddy currents or other turbulence are
present in the flames. This can happen if the fire is partially confined or obstructed. Such events
have occurred in industrial sites where extremely combustible gasses have escaped, and when
ordinary deflagration fires encounter explosive materials.