The resulting compound is cast into a flat sheet which is typically pliable and deformable over a wide range of temperature.
This property makes them suitable for use in detonation trains which require precise timing and homogeneous delivery of force across a complex surface (but see also shaped charge for an orthogonal technique).
[1] Rocket engines have been created out of a large number of sequentially fired "stages" of sheet explosive discs.
This differs from a pulsed detonation rocket because the fuel consists solely of pre-positioned solid explosives.
The primary advantages of the technique are reliability, stable long-term storage, and the complete absence of any moving parts or pumps for fuel delivery—the design is merely a set of alternating disks of explosives and delayed primers.