Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-12-01
HIGH EXPLOSIVES.
Amateur Chemists Should Fight
Shy Of Dabbling In Them.
SCIENCE IN THEIR MAKING
These Terribly Destructive Agents Are
the Outcome Of Serious Research
Work-SmokeIsss Powders and How
They Are Produced.


Work-smoksIsss Powders and How
They Are Produced.
A WORD OF caution 70 amateurs VIM
wish to experiment Win nign expo
sives-dont. The manufacture OF nign
explosives Is now highly specialized
branch Of chemistry and chemical en-
cheering, and great technical knowl
edge and experience are necessary II
one wishes to go through life whole
Another caution-not one Of the present
explosive compounds has been discov-
cred and made practical by an anna
teur; they are as mucn growth OF
scientific research as Is the manufac-
ture of aniline dyes.
The bases or the most terribly de-
strucuve explosives are very nnocent
substances themselves ana OF nign I'M
portance IN the arts OF peace. COTTON
ana giycerih are tne TWO MOST iinpor-
'aht ia" n'a,eriais useo ~. nisn eA-
piosi,es next Come pneuns, oenlol.
.oioo- eu. oo..on - " IM .ne moS'
.lpvl .ah'' as i's niuo eoAlVaaus ale
~ .Ae 49, :. az P9"1 49,
S..,D.,. .,s',-s. - AZ.
.rnortant r,i,,tarr n-o,,,c, - n,,noot-
80, "a r,.ra.,r-,,, p-as,~ ..,.
,rr srnolala.s ,,oraar = . ra,a t,r,,..,
forr, ~ rnncotton ~ r,,rco.+o,, 80
,,,t-o,,roo,,r =, rarr,no ,,r,ro-.,ors
,-,,h evan n-ororttons >, 49, s,,,,'
,r.s-- - 49, -,
tic :, TN gonaro, ,nathoa - mai.
ing Zach ~ tha two tynos q 90 ro,.
lows. cnncotton nowdars . ra made Nv
,,,sso,v,no . ,,,rtrra - a,n,tro ana ~
n;trooaI,n,rsa a., ,,,xt,,r. =, .lcoho,
and other wort,nc tbo mass untfi .
plastic ie,iv "a FORMED and then worr-
inc this mn With tts othor ,ngrat,,ants
and enallv nrass;no the n,.ss into
tbraads ana cyIirdar. ~ c,tt,no nm
sheets NJ n IN rate small Grains
Smora,ass nouda- for h;c ,,,rs ora
.moI,ar ,-,f,ad cannon - nsnanv n.ao
a. tho CO.., - rarfo-o,ad o,.,;,aa-S -
y.rv;nc st1os ~ foro,nc ~, ,,Ios+,c
mass ,hror,h dias Tbasa cvIindar. aro
fro,n on a,oh,h - a. ,nch 81 ~ ,nch
An th,crnass ona fror, ha,f an ,,.h -
+vo inchas ,ona tho s,-o .na n,,n,t.r
~ nerforat,ons rsrr,ng Nth tha s,1a
- a., 49,, 81. ,rh;ah ,n.ana.s tn
-.
e. pe..o.u Lat .1s
80 80. VIC uusn san D
snen nioie e'enis' 'nus securing UNI
ioin pressure IN tne gun anu us maxi
Anun eueeI
ohoheiesS powders are eApioueo Dy
oifect nane' from Irlctlon OF eiectrlc
primer the combustion being almost
instantaneous. Set afire in open air
smokeless powders burn fercely, but
without explosion Unless badly de-
Perforated by age and consequent
formation Of excess Of free acids,
smokeless powder seldom e1plodes by
conclusion When excessively acid 1t
will explode spontaneously.
In appearance smokeless powder re-
sembles yellow or amber celluloid, has
a horny texture and can be cut with
knife. The powder used by the United
States is n guncotton powder. a small
proportion Of fliphenvlamine and cal
CUM carbide being added tn stabilize
IL The process and methods Of manu-
facture are closely Guarded secrets,
NitrorIycerin smokeleas nowders have
as n base both puncotton and nitro
elvcerin. The puncotton "a dissolved
in the nitroplvcerin . ielly.l;ke mass
being formed This Il then dissolved
in acetone or a mixture of alcohol and
ether. stabilizinp Ingredients added and
the wboia worked into q nlastic mass
This mass Is then messed into st,cks or
perforated cylinders or granulated from
sheets NV the same nrocess as puncot.
ton nowder and the finished nrodnct q
similar in appearance
Nitrorlycerin powders have a greater
explosive force than nitrocellulose. now.
ders hut have the drawback Of being
unstable and IRREGULAR In action. In
fact. all smokeless powders have these