The thermal detonator was designed to be thrown by a soldier, planted in a specific location or on a specific vessel, or dropped by a vehicle. It would then adhere to any metallic object until it detonated. The reasons for using a thermal detonator varied widely, and despite the legal restrictions of many governments, the thermal detonator sees widespread use across the galaxy.
The name was descriptive of the process by which the device explodes. Inside the shell, which was generally made of thermite or axidite, was a sample of baradium, a highly volatile substance. A trigger emitted a short burst of energy that forced the baradium into a state of fusion reaction. This trigger could simply be a button. Some had a fail-deadly trigger, meaning that if it was released, it would set off the grenade. The result was an expanding particle field that could atomize any material that did not conduct heat or thermal energy within the fixed blast radius; typically five meters, though some had an even greater radius. Custom grenades could have a blast up to 100 meters. Unlike other grenades, a thermal detonator's blast would only go as far as its blast radius. After that, the blast field would collapse, and anything even slightly beyond the blast radius would be left unharmed.
Fragmentation Grenade
The grenade was similar to the thermal detonator in use, with the significant difference that the frag grenade was far less powerful. These standard version of this grenade utilized metal shrapnel when they exploded. Additionally, these were designed to explode on contact. The typical blast radius was about 4 meters. While this was somewhat smaller than the blast radius of a typical thermal detonator, in short range battles this was actually advantageous, making it easier to use fragmentation grenades without friendly forces being caught in the blast. These items were highly restricted despite their common use. Because of their small size and weight, about 0.5 kilograms, detection of these weapons could be difficult.
While these grenades were not as destructive as the major part of miscellaneous grenades, its cheapness made it available in large numbers for armies. For comparison, a thermal detonator cost 4,000 credis; the frag grenade cost between 100 and 500 credits.