Evening journal., 1904-03-08
CURIOUS EXPLOSIVES.
How Gun Cotton - Obtained and Pre-
pared For Use In shells

How Gum Cotton Is Obtained and Pre-
psgred For Use In shells.
Hydrogen forms part Of nearly all
organic substances. In the greater
number Of plants hydrogen is nssociat.
cd with carbon. The growing plant is
provided with roots spread out in the
moist earth, while the part which IS
above ground Is provided with leaves
that come IN contact with n great
quantity Of air BY some mysterious
influence that we do not understand
Che heat and light energy derived from
the sun operating in connection with
plant life decOmposes the water ia the
earth and also the carbonic acid gas
which forms a small percentage OF the
atmosphere. The roots take up water
and it flows up through the trunk OF
tho tree, while az the same time the
carbonic acid gas Of the atmosphere Is
decomposed, the oxygen set free and
the carbon combined with the hydro
gen Of the water It VIII therefore be
seen that IN both cases oxygen is set
free, and the hydrogen of the water is
combined with the carbon Of the at
mosphere, forming a true hydrocarbon.
which in many cases constitutes the
greater part Of the weight Of the plant
The fibrous material so formed is
generally known as cellulose. Pure
cotton and paper pulp made from wood
are examples Of pure cellulose II cell
lulose is plunged into strong nitric acid
the hydrogen Is displaced by what are
known as nitrogen groups" that is,
oxygen in chemical combination with
nitrogen enters the substance, decom-
posing it and driving out the hydrogen
and supplantlng It. The action Of the
nitric acid upon the cellulose produces
water, which reduces the strength of
the acid, and TO avoid this a consldera-
bic quantity Of very strong sulphuric
acid is mixed with the nitric acid.
This absorbs the water as fast as # is
formed, keeping the nitric acid. as one
might say, in a dry state. When cot
ton has been nitrated in this way and
then very carefully washed for many
hours to deprive Il Of every trace Of its
acid and dried it becomes gun cutton,
chemically known as trinitrocellulose,
If, however, the acids are weak, then
collodion cotton is produced, which is
known 10 chemistry as dinitrocellu-
lose. It is only trinitrocellulose. how
ever, that is employed in the manufac-
ture of high explosives.
But cellulose is by no means the only
material that can be nitrated. There
are, In fact, hundreds Of materials
which may be thus converted into ex-
plosives, and all are nitrated in prac-
tically the same manner-namely. by
being dropped into strong nitric acid.
When glycerin, which Is the sugar Of
fat, is nitrated, it is known as nitro
slycerin. one Of the strongest and best
known Of explosives. Nitroglycerin
and gun cotton form the basiq Of a
great number Of smokeless powders.
When carbonic acid phcnoD IS nj
trated, it. is called trinitrophenol, or
picric acrd. But picric acid was made
more than a century ago from indigo.
It crystallizes in brilliant yellow scales,
and it dyes all animal tissue an in
tensely brilliant yellow. 1t was used
many years in the arts as a dyeing
agent before its true character as an
explosive was known picric acid is
indeed a very peculiar substance. Al
though one Of the most violent explo-
sives known. it is one Of the safest.
If thrown into a white hot furnace, Il
burns away like pitch; II set on fire in
the open air II burns with a yellow,
smoky flame II cannot be exploded in
the open air, but If confined in a strong
receptacle and ignited by a strong full
minating charge # detonates with ter
rifle violence, reducing the receptacle
into fine fragments.-H Harper's Weekly.