Nitro-Glycerine Explosives. 93 



-chemical sense of the term, but a nitrate being formed through the 

 •nitration of gl\cerine, a tri-atomic alcohol bv nitric acid, so 

 CyH^Os + 3HXO3 = C3H5 (O XO,)3 + ;3H.o. 

 In fact, the formation of nitro-glycerine takes place by means of a 

 very simple, straightforward chemical equation, and the elementary 

 . analysis of the product agrees perfectly with the above formula. 

 The preparation of nitro-glycerine is really a most simple operation 

 — when everything goes right — but like ever)' other simple operation 

 there is a right and a wrong way of doing it. The knowledge of 

 how to do it the right way constitutes a man an expert. From 

 the equation, which 1 have just shown you, it would appear that all 

 one has to do is to mix glycerine with nitric acid, and chemistry, 

 that very vague thing, does the rest. 



But long before the stage just referred to has been reached, 

 many things have to be done, and many chemical equation.s would 

 require to be put on the black board to explain them. First of 

 all, we must have very pure anhydrous glycerine, and the manu- 

 ifacture of this article involves some highly complicated processes, 

 and the use of some of the most beautiful machinery which can be 

 seen in any branch of applied chemistry. Few manufacturers make 

 their own glycerine, but many buy it in the crude state, and then 

 refine it. It is in the main a bye-product from soap and candle 

 making, and manufacturers of explosives as a rule find the)' have 

 -quite enough to do without meddling with other industries. Then 

 we must have our nitric and our sulphuric acid, both as strong and 

 as pure as it is possible to make them. I have already said that 

 there are tricks connected with every manufacture. Sulphuric acid 

 ■did not figure in the equation which I have just given you, yet for 

 -.reasons which I shall explain, its presence is absolutely necessary. 



The manufacture of sulphuric acid, although one of the oldest 

 •of our chemical industries, is still a very complicated one, but I 

 take it that most people have a fair idea of how it is done. At 

 "the Modderfontein Factory, with which I am connected, we are at 

 present using the old process commonly called the chamber process, 

 but we hope soon to have the modern or contact process installed. 

 It is unfortunate that up to now we have discovered nothing in the 

 whole of South Africa which can take the place of the Sicilian 

 sulphur which we burn in our ovens; but the new process will, we 

 trust, allow us to work the low grade pyrites which is so abundant 

 •on the Rand. As will be seen from the views which will presendy 

 appear on the screen, our plant is a very large one, indeed, among 

 the largest in the world; but the addition of the contact plant will 

 make it almost the largest. 



I cannot pass this part of the paper without commenting on 

 the fact that the process to which I have just referred has been 

 known since ever books on chemistry were written, and vet onlv 

 within the past few years, and principally by the aid of engineering 

 as applied to chemistry, it has come to the front, and will com- 

 pletely revolutionise our oldest and most important chemical in- 

 •dustry. The same remark applies to many other processes, until 



