MUNROE-HOWELL— PRODUCTS OF DETONATION OF TNT. 199 



Following this procedure when the charging density in the bomb 

 was about 0.2 the products of two trials gave respectively the fol- 

 lowing results on analysis : 



1. II. 



Per Cent. Per Cent. 



Carbon monoxide 59-01 60.60 



Carbon dioxide 1.93 1-66 



Methane 1.97 i-90 



Hydrogen 20.50 20.80 



Nitrogen 16.05 16.08 



99.46 101.04 



In a further experiment in which the trinitrotoluene was ex- 

 ploded in a lead cylinder enclosed in the bomb Poppenberg and 

 Stephan obtained 



Per Cent. 



Carbon monoxide 46.02 



Carbon dioxide 20.60 



Methane 1.40 



Hydrocarbons 1.08 



Hydrogen 7-6i 



Nitrogen 21.83 



Air 1.33 



99-87 



In discussing their results Poppenberg and Stephan referring to 

 an opinion advanced by Kast from a study of theoretical equations 

 of decomposition of trinitrotoluene say : " Kast calls particular at- 

 tention to the fact that no water is formed when trinitrotoluol is 

 detonated ; our experience does not correspond to this assertion. 

 We could prove regularly the presence of water in quantities of 1.5 

 to 1.8 per cent, in the explosion products. According to Kast's 

 equation, 23.4 percent, of hydrogen was to be found in the ex- 

 plosion products, but the analysis shows only 21 per cent. This 

 fact indicates further that when trinitrotoluol is detonated water 

 must be formed." 



Relative to the " hydrocarbons " reported these authors say : 



The large carbon and hydrogen concentration governs the formation of 

 hydrocarbons, which probably come from previously formed acetylene (com- 

 pare Pring and gas composition of the explosion products of ammonal). The 

 quantity, 1.08 per cent., is not significant and will not have any real effect on 

 the explosion constants. Whether or not their formation affects the maxi- 

 mum pressure, that is, whether they are formed at the moment of explosion 



