Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin , using diatomaceous earth ( AmE : kieselgur ; BrE : kieselguhr ) , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells , clay , sawdust , or wood pulp . Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued . Dynamite was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht , Germany , and patented in 1867 . Its name was coined by Nobel from the Ancient Greek word δύναμις " dýnamis " , meaning " power " . Dynamite is a high explosive , which means its power comes from detonation rather than deflagration . Dynamite is mainly used in the mining , quarrying , construction , and demolition industries , and it has had some historical usage in warfare . However the unstable nature of nitroglycerin , especially if subjected to freezing , has rendered it obsolete for military uses . Public familiarity with dynamite led to metaphoric uses , such as saying that a particular issue " is political dynamite " . Description . Classic dynamite consists of three parts nitroglycerin , one part diatomaceous earth and a small admixture of sodium carbonate . This mixture is formed into short sticks and wrapped in paper . Nitroglycerin by itself is a very strong explosive , and in its pure form it is extremely shock - sensitive ( that is , physical shock can cause it to explode ) , and degrades over time to even more unstable forms . This makes it highly dangerous to transport or use in its pure form . Absorbed into diatomaceous earth or sawdust , nitroglycerin is less shock - sensitive . Over time , the dynamite will " weep " or " sweat " its nitroglycerin , which can then pool in the bottom of the box or storage area . ( For that reason , explosive manuals recommend the repeated turning over of boxes of dynamite in storage . ) Crystals will form on the outside of the sticks causing them to be even more shock , friction or temperature sensitive . This creates a very dangerous situation . While the risk of an explosion without the use of a blasting cap is minimal for fresh dynamite , old dynamite is dangerous . Dynamite is usually sold in the form of cylinders about long and about in diameter , with a weight of about 0 . 5 lb troy ( 0 . 186 kg ) . Other sizes also exist . The maximum shelf life of nitroglycerin - based dynamite is recommended as one year from the date of manufacture under good storage conditions . Another form of dynamite consists of nitroglycerin dissolved in nitrocellulose and a small amount of ketone . This form of dynamite is similar to cordite , and is much safer than the simple mix of nitroglycerin and diatomaceous earth . Military dynamite achieves greater stability by avoiding the use of nitroglycerin and uses much more stable chemicals . History and manufacture . Dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel and was the first safely manageable explosive stronger than black powder . Nobel obtained patents for his invention : in England on 7 May 1867 and in Sweden on 19 October 1867 . He originally sold dynamite as " " Nobel ' s Blasting Powder " " . After its introduction , dynamite rapidly gained wide - scale use as a safe alternative to gunpowder and nitroglycerin . Nobel tightly controlled the patents , and unlicensed duplicating companies were quickly shut down . However , a few American businessmen got around the patent by using a slightly different formula . South Africa . For several decades beginning in the 1940s , the largest producer of dynamite in the world was the Union of South Africa . There the De Beers company established a factory in 1902 at Somerset West . The explosives factory was later operated by AECI ( African Explosives and Chemical Industries ) . The demand for the product came mainly from the country ' s vast gold mines , centered on the Witwatersrand . The factory at Somerset West was in operation in 1903 and by 1907 it was already producing 340 , 000 cases [ 22 kilograms ( 50 pounds ) each ] annually . A rival factory at Modderfontein was producing another 200 , 000 cases per year . Dynamite was dangerous to manufacture . There were two large explosions at the Somerset West plant during the 1960s . Some workers died , but the loss of life was limited by the modular design of the factory and its earth works , and the planting of trees that directed the blasts upward . There were several other explosions at the Modderfontein factory . After 1985 , pressure from trade unions forced AECI to phase out the production of dynamite . The factory then went on to produce ammonium nitrate emulsion - based explosives that are safer to manufacture and to handle . United States . Dynamite was manufactured by the E . I du Pont de Nemours Company until the mid - 1970s . Other American dynamite makers of that time period included the Hercules Corporation , Atlas , Trojan - US Powder , Austin , and several other smaller firms . Dynamite has been mostly phased out in favor of water gel explosive s , which are cheaper to manufacture , and in many ways safer to handle . In the United States , in 1885 , the chemist Russell S . Penniman invented " ammonium dynamite " , a form of explosive that used ammonium nitrate as a substitute for the more costly nitroglycerin . These dynamites were marketed with the trade name " Extra " . Ammonium nitrate contains 85 % of the chemical energy of nitroglycerin . Difference from TNT . Though both trinitrotoluene ( TNT ) and dynamite are high explosives , there is little similarity between them . Dynamite is an absorbent mixture soaked in nitroglycerin then compacted into a cylindrical shape and wrapped in paper . TNT is a chemical compound called 2 , 4 , 6 - trinitrotoluene . ( Military dynamite is a dynamite substitute , also formulated without nitroglycerin , containing 75 % RDX , 15 % TNT , 5 % SAE 10 motor oil , and 5 % cornstarch , but much safer to store and handle for long time than Nobel ' s dynamite . ) A stick of dynamite ( 0 . 19 kg , 75 % nitroglycerin , no other explosives in the mixture of dynamite ) contains roughly 1 MJ of energy . The energy density ( joules / kilogram or J / kg ) of dynamite is approximately 5 MJ / kg , compared to 4 . 0 MJ / kg of TNT ( for TNT r . e . factor = 1 . 00 ; for Nobel dynamite r . e . factor = 1 . 25 ; ) .