220 MUNROE-HOWELL— PRODUCTS OF DETONATION OF TNT. 



posit would absorb a sufficiently large quantity of gases to influence 

 the observed pressure reading for total quantity of gas produced, or 

 absorb a selected gas in sufficiently large quantity to afifect the com- 

 position of the gases. 



On account of the rough and pitted condition of the interior of 

 the Bichel gage, it was impossible to obtain an exact determination 

 of the amount of this deposit. But several determinations were 

 made to secure this as accurately as possible, and it was found that 

 with 200 grams of M — 2354, 11 grams of solids were obtained, 

 while from 400 grams, 15 grams were obtained, corresponding to 

 5.5 and 3.75 per cent, respectively. Two determinations made with 

 200 grams of M — 2630 gave 16 and 18.5 grams or 8.0 and 9.25 per 

 cent, respectively. 



While an insufficient number of tests have been carried out to 

 warrant any definite conclusions, it would appear that the amount 

 of deposit decreases with the increase in charge and is increased by 

 the density of the cartridge, as in sample M — 2630 which was com- 

 pressed to 1.50. 



The exact composition of this deposit has not been determined 

 as yet, for this deposit is contaminated by the iron from the support, 

 copper and sulphur from the electric detonator, and tin from the 

 wrapper holding the TNT, and no method so far tried has served 

 to separate them. An analysis of the contaminated deposits has 

 given the following result : 



Per Cent. 



Moisture 0.25 



Ash 7710 



H 33 



C 34-34 



N i.oi 



S 3-97 



O 



As the carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen are the elements in the 

 deposit arising from the TNT, this analysis is recalculated eliminat- 

 ing the contaminating substances, and is as follows : 



Per Cent. 



H 1.03 



C 96.07 



N 2.90 



