The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-06-24
POWER OF CORDITE.'
THE so-cALLED sMoKELEss POWDER
NOW USED IN BIG GUNS.


The Method of Manufacture.
Sincethe advent of the speedy torpedo
boat and since rapid-fring guns have
been placed on battleships and cruisers,
an explosive that would allow to the
officers and gunners an unobstructed
view of an enemy under all conditions
has been sought and thousands of dol
lars have been expended in the effort to
obtain a satisfactory substitute for
black gunpowder. Cordite, the latest
explosive is said to be the most salts
factory propellant of modern times for
naval warfare, and the general expert
opinion seems to be that in few years
gunpowder as now understood will
have vanished.
i Smokeless powders were first pro-
duced in France, and for some time the
secret of it's manufacture was guarded
jealousy. AS soon as the necessity for
this kind of powder became apparent,
however, number of manufacturers
devoted attention to it, and as result
various brands of smokeless explosives.
were placed on the market.
The most satisfactory results eventu-
ally made their appearance in cordite,
which was produced through expert
ments made by Prof. Dewar and Sir
Frederick Abel. Cordite is composed
of nitro-glycerine So per cent, guncot-
ton 81 per cent, and vaseline 5 per
cent Nitro-glycerine is an oily, col
orless liquid, and an active poison. 1t
is produced by mixing. a quantity of
sulphuric acid with almost double the
amount of nitric acid and allowing it
to cool; about one-eighth of the total
weight of glycerine is then added
gradually, the mixture being kept be-
low temperature of 70 degrees Fab
renheit by passing air and cold water
through it. After the mixture has
stood a sufficient time the acids are
drawn off and the residue nitro
glycerine) is washed and filtered.
Nitro-glycerine cannot be ignited
easily by flame, and lighted. match
or taper plunged into it would be ex-
tinguished. 1t is sensitive to friction
or percussion, either of which will de-
tomato it. Another popularity is that
the higher the temperature, the more
sensitive it becomes. 1t will solidify at
temperature of 40 degrees, and it's
explosive force is estimated to be about
twelve times that of gunpowder.
One of the most approved methods
used in the manufacture of guncotton
is this. The raw cotton is torn into
shreds, dried and dipped in mixture
Of sulphuric and nitric acids. 1t is
then placed in a stream of running
water and washed thoroughly. The
cotton is then wrung out, usually in a
centrifugal machine.
1t is afterward boiled, dried, cut into
pulp, and pressed into disks. When the
guncotton is finished there should be no
trace Of the acids remaining. Vaseline,
the other component part of cordite,
is the well-known extract from petrole-
um, and it's usefulness ischief1y to lubrf-
cate the bore of the gun and thus lessen
the friction between it an the projec-
tile. It also has a tendency to impart
q waterproof nature to cordite.
i, A colorless liquid prepared from
acetate of lime, called acetone, is used
as solvent in the manufacture of cor
dite. The method of preparing the ex-
plosive is. The required proportion of
nitro-glycerine is poured over the gun
cotton, and the two with the addition
of acetone, are kneaded together into
a stiff paste. Vaseline is then added
and the whole compound after being
thoroughly mixed is put into machine
and the cordite pressed out and cut
into lengths, after which it is dried.
To the artillerist the nature of the
cordite is represented by a fraction
whose numerator gives in hundredths
of an inch the diameter of the die
through which the cordite has been
pressed, its denominator being the
length of the stick in inches. The
cordite known as 30-12, which is the
size used for the 6-inch Quick-firing
guns, signifies that it's diameter is
three-tenths of an inch and it is twelve
inches long.
II Is necessary 10 use line grain
powder to ignite charge of cordite, it
being secured in such a manner that
fash from the tube firing the gun will
cause the explosion of the charge. A
full charge of powder for a 12-inch
gun is 295 pounds, while the cordite
charge having the same efficiency is
only 1914 pounds.
The wonderful strides made in the
science of gunnery since 1910 is shown
by the fact that at that period a s.
pound projeetile fred with charge of
Is pounds Of powder gave a muzzle
velocity of between 1000 and ], 100 feet
a second, while at the present day a
100 pound shell, fired with 14% pounds
of cordite, gives muzzle velocity Of
$3.50 feet a second.