MUNROE-HOWELL— PRODUCTS OF DETONATION OF TNT. 201 



Per Cent. 



Carbon monoxide 60.32 



Carbon dioxide 1.98 



Hydrogen 20.65 



Nitrogen 17.05 



and it is seen that the composition nearly approaches that given for 

 the products of Poppenberg and Stephan's experiments I. and II. 



Bichel's experiment is the only one whose results admit of a 

 comparison being made with TNT itself in order to ascertain the 

 extent to which the two agree. For this purpose Bichel's percent- 

 ages for the compound substances have been reduced to their ele- 

 ments, the total for each element assembled and the elementary 

 composition of the products compared in the following with that of 

 pure TNT. 



Elementary Composition of Bichel's Products and of TNT by Weight. 



In the descriptions of the above investigations as found no de- 

 scription of the trinitrotoluene used or any means of checking it, 

 such as melting point, setting point or other data appear. Poppen- 

 berg and Stephan do not state what kind of detonator was used, 

 Giua notes that Bichel in his first experiment used 1.5 gram mercury 

 fulminate detonator. Experience has shown that at least a No. 8 

 detonator containing 2 grams'* of the fulminate charge is essential 

 to insure the full detonation of TNT, and the somewhat erratic re- 

 sults obtained in the pressure gage led us to consider the trial of 

 tetryl detonators in the hope that more certain uniformity might 

 result. 



Considering the state of the information regarding the explosion 

 products of trinitrotoluenes that we have found in the literature ; the 



^ " A Primer on Explosives for Metal Miners and Quarrymen," Charles 

 E. Munroe and Clarence Hall. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 80, 1915, page 36. 



