Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise Part 25

Cordite contains 58 per cent. nitro-glycerine, 37 per cent. gun-cotton, and 5 per cent. vaseline.

Ballist.i.te (Italian) consists of equal parts nitro-cellulose and nitro- glycerine, and 1/2 per cent. of aniline. The German contains a higher percentage of nitro-cellulose.

TABLE SHOWING THE HEAT DEVELOPED BY EXPLOSIVES CONTAINING NITRO-GLYCERINE AND NITRO-CELLULOSE IN DIFFERENT PROPORTIONS.

______________________________________________________________________ Composition of Explosives. | Calories per cent.

_____________________________________________|________________________ Nitro-cellulose | | (N = 13.3 per cent.). | Nitro-glycerine. | | | 100 per cent. dry pulp | 0 | 1061 100 " gelatinised | 0 | 922 90 " | 10 per cent. | 1044 80 " | 20 " | 1159 70 " | 30 " | 1267 60 " | 40 " | 1347 50 " | 50 " | 1410 40 " | 60 " | 1467 0 " | 100 " | 1652 __________________________|__________________|________________________ | | Nitro-cellulose | | (N=12.24 per cent.) | Nitro-glycerine. | | | 80 per cent. | 20 per cent. | 1062 60 " | 40 " | 1288 50 " | 50 " | 1349 40 " | 60 " | 1405 | | __________________________|__________________|________________________| Nitro-cellulose | | (N = 13.3 per cent.). | Nitro-glycerine. | Vaseline.

| | 55 per cent. | 40 per cent. | 5 per cent. 1134 35 " | 60 " | 5 " 1280 __________________________|__________________|________________________

TABLE OF RESULTS OBTAINED BY LIEUT. W. WALKE., OF THE ARTILLERY, U.S.A, WITH QUINAN'S PRESSURE GAUGE.

Nitro-glycerine being taken as 100. (From _U.S. Naval Inst. Jour._)

__________________________________________________________________________ | | | | Compression | Order of | Name of Explosive. | of Lead | Strength. | | | | | Inch. | | Explosive gelatine | 0.585 | 106.17 | h.e.l.lhoffite | 0.585 | 106.17 | Nitro-glycerine | 0.551 | 100.00 | Standard, N.G.

n.o.bel's smokeless powder | 0.509 | 92.38 | Nitro-glycerine | 0.509 | 92.37 | Gun-cotton | 0.458 | 83.12 | U.S. naval torpedo | | | gun-cotton Gun-cotton | 0.458 | 83.12 | Stowmarket.

Nitro-glycerine | 0.451 | 81.85 | Vouges, N.G.

Gun-cotton | 0.448 | 81.31 | Dynamite No. 1 | 0.448 | 81.31 | Dynamite de Traul | 0.437 | 79.31 | Emmensite | 0.429 | 77.86 | Amide powder | 0.385 | 69.87 | Oxonite | 0.383 | 69.51 | Tonite | 0.376 | 68.24 | G.C. 52.5%, and | | | Ba(NO_{3})_{2}, 47.5% Bellite | 0.362 | 65.70 | Rack-a-rock | 0.340 | 61.71 | Atlas powder | 0.333 | 60.43 | Ammonia dynamite | 0.332 | 60.25 | Volney's powder No. 1 | 0.322 | 58.44 | Nitrated naphthalene.

" No. 2 | 0.294 | 53.18 | " "

Melinite | 0.280 | 50.82 | Picric acid 70%, and | | | sol. nitro-cotton 30%.

Silver fulminate | 0.277 | 50.27 | Mercury | 0.275 | 49.91 | Mortar powder | 0.155 | 28.13 | _________________________|_____________|___________|______________________

~Composition of some of the Explosives in Common Use.~

~Ordinary Dynamite.~

Nitro-Glycerine 75 per cent.

Kieselguhr 25 "

~Amvis.~

Nitrate of Ammonia 90 per cent.

Chloro-di-nitro Benzene 5 "

Wood Pulp 5 "

~Ammonia Nitrate Powder.~

Nitrate of Ammonia 80 per cent.

Chlorate of Potash 5 "

Nitro-Glucose 10 "

Coal Tar 5 "

~Celt.i.te.~

Nitro-Glycerine 56-59 parts.

Nitro-Cotton 2-3.5 "

KNO_{3} 17-21 "

Wood Meal 8-9 "

Ammonium Oxalate 11-13 "

Moisture 0.5-1.5 "

~Atlas Powders.~

Sodium Nitrate 2.0 per cent.

Nitro-Glycerine 75.0 "

Wood Pulp 21.0 "

Magnesium Carbonate 2.0 "

~Dauline.~

Nitro-Glycerine 50 per cent.

Sawdust 30 "

Nitrate of Potash 20 "

~Vulcan Powder.~

Nitro-Glycerine 30 per cent.

Nitrate of Soda 52.5 "

Sulphur 7.0 "

Charcoal 10.5 "

~Vigorite.~

Nitro-Glycerine 30 per cent.

Nitrate of Soda 60 "

Charcoal 5 "

Sawdust 5 "

~Rendrock.~

Nitrate of Potash 40 per cent.

Nitro-Glycerine 40 "

Wood Pulp 13 "

Paraffin or Pitch 7 "

~Ammonia Nitrate Powder.~

Ammonia Nitrate 80 per cent.

Pota.s.sium Chlorate 5 "

Nitro-Glucose 10 "

Coal Tar 5 "

~Hercules Powders.~

Nitro-Glycerine 75 to 40 per cent.

Sugar 1 " 15.66 "

Chlorate of Potash 1.05 " 3.34 "

Nitrate of Potash 2.10 " 31.00 "

Carbonate of Magnesia 20.85 " 10.00 "