The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-07-22
SMOKELESS POWDER.
CoRoITE THE MOST POTENT Ex-
PLOSIVE OF MODERN TIMES.

ess by Which Its Dangerous Element
Are Combined.
Since the advent Of the speedy torpe
do boat and since rapid firing guns hav,
been placed on battleships and cruiser,
an explosive that would allow 70 the
officers and gunners an unobstructec
view of an enemy under all conditions
has been sought, and thousands of dol.
lars have been expended in the effort to
obtain satisfactory substitute for black
gunpowder. Cordite. the latest explo-
sive, is said to be the most satisfactory
propellant of modern times for naval
warfare, and the expert opinion seems
10 be that in a few years gunpowder as
now understood will have vanished.
The earliest records of established
powder mills show that there was only
one in operation in 1890, this one being
in England. During the year 1887 the
Waltham Abbey Powder mills were
purchased by the English government.
They are still conducted by it The Fa-
versham mills, which UP to that date
were the largest in the world, passed
into the hands of a private corporation
In 1915. The manufacture of powder
was continued without much improve
ment, except in the efficiency of the
grinding and mixing machinery, until
about 80 years ago, the formula for
black powder being saltpeter rs parts,
charcoal 10 parts and sulphur 10 parts,
the whole forming a mechanical mix
ture and not a chemical compound
Smokeless powder, however, became
absolutely a necessity, for the reason
that smoke producing powders masked
the object aimed at, and the torpedo
boat, which was becoming a recognized
feature of naval warfare, could dash up
and discharge one or more deadly mis-
siles under cover Of the smoke.
Smokeless powders were first pro-
duced in France. and for some time the
secret of the manufacture was guarded
jealousy. AS soon as the necessity for
this kind Of powder became apparent,
however, a number of manufacturers
devoted attention 10 it, and as a 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 Professor Dewar and Sir !
Frederick Abel. Cordite is composed of |
50 per cent, gun cotton 81 |
per cent and vaseline per cent Nitro |
glycerin is an oily, colorless liquid and |
an active poison. 1t is produced by mix
ing 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 glycerin is
then added gradually, the mixture be-
ing kept below temperature of 20 de-
grees L. by passing air and cold water |
through 1t. After the mixture has stood |
a sufficient time the acids are drawn off,
and the residue (nitroglycerin) is wash
ed and filtered.
Nltroglycerin cannot be ignited easily
BY flame, and lighted match or ia
per plunged into it would be extinguish-
I'd. 1t is sensitive TO friction or percus-
sion, either of which will detonate it.
Another popularity is that the higher
he temperature the more sensitive it
becomes. 1t will solidify at temper
lture of 40 degrees, and its explosive
orce is estimated to be about twelve
lines that of gunpowder.
One OF the most approved methods
lsed In the manufacture Of gun cotton
this: The raw cotton is torn into
hreds dried and dipped in mixture
4 sulphuric and nitric acids It is then |
'laced in stream of running water and
Washed thoroughly. The cotton is then
yrung out, usually in q centrifugal ma
hine.
1t is afterward boiled, dried, cut into |
ulp and pressed into disks When the
I'M cotton is finished, there should be
o trace of the acids remaining. Vase
me, the other component part of cor
lite, is the well known extract from pc 3,
roleum, and its usefulness is chiefly to
abricate the bore of the gun and thus
essen the friction between it and the
rojectile. 1t also has tendency to i'm 1
art a waterproof nature to cordite
a colorless liquid prepared from ace 4,
ate OF lime, called acetone, is used as a | {
olvent In the manufacture of cordite.
ne method OF preparing the explosive | {
J: The required proportion of nitro /,
lycerin is poured over the gun cotton.
nd the two, with the addition Of ace
,ne. are kneaded together into stiff | [
aste. Vaseline is then added, and the | q
hole compound, after being thorough
: mixed, is put into a machine and the /
,rdite pressed out and cut into lengths. S
ter which it is dried s
To the artillerist the nature of cordite 7
represented by fraction whose nu- c
orator gives il Eundredths Of an inch | S
le diameter of the die through which
le cordite has been pressed, its denom- i
ator being the length of the stick in v
ches The cordite known as 3O-I2,
hich is the size used for the inch U
lick firing guns, signifies that its di- O
meter is three-t enths of an inch, and d
is IL inches long. e
1t is Necessary to use a fine grain v
WIDER to ignite a charge of cordite, it G
ing secured in such manner that
gh from the tube firing the pun will |