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U Professor Developed Largest Bomb
Thursday, November 8, 2001
The Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY
The world"s largest conventional bomb, the 15,000-pound device known colloquially as the "daisy cutter" and now being used in Afghanistan, was developed by the late University of Utah professor Melvin Cook.

Cook, who died at 89 in October 2000 in Salt Lake City, was considered one of the world"s foremost authorities on explosives and is best known for development of slurry explosives which have been used in mining for four decades.

Cook also was the father of former Rep. Merrill Cook, R-Utah, who has announced he will run to regain his 2nd District seat.

The giant bomb, known formally as the BLU-82, was developed by Melvin Cook nearly 30 years ago.

The device can vaporize everything within a 600-yard radius.

Cook had formed the Intermountain Research and Engineering Co. -- IRECO - to further develop his slurry explosives for mining.

In 1972, he employed the method to make the BLU-82 bomb, which includes ammonium nitrate as an oxidizing agent and aluminum particles that act as the fuel.

Cook was contracted by the Department of Defense to develop the bomb.

"It was developed for helicopters" landing sites in Vietnam," said M. Garfield Cook, another son of Melvin Cook and president and chief executive officer of IRECO from 1972 to 1989.
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2001 © The Associated Press.

Dan