T n E 

 LONDON, EDINBURGH and DUBLIN 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 



AND 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



s 



[THIRD SERIES.] 



JANUARY 1847. 



I. On the Composition and Explosion of Gun-Cotton. 

 By Thomas Ransome, Esq.'*^ 



INCE the announcement by Prof. Otto of the process for 

 preparing gun-cotton, many experiments have been tried 

 both with reference to improvement in its manufacture and 

 also to its explosive force, but the only explanation of its 

 composition has been derived from the quantity of nitric acid 

 taken up by the cotton. The following experiments were 

 made to ascertain the quantities of carbon and hydrogen it 

 actually contains. 



The gun-cotton that I have analysed was prepared with 

 carded cotton, and nitric acid of specific gravity 1*5 14 mixed 

 with half its bulk of sulphuric acid, in the proportion of an 

 ounce and a half of nitric acid to each 100 grs. cotton. Thus 

 prepared it was quite white, and the fibre appeared unaltered ; 

 it left not the smallest residue upon ignition, and was quite in- 

 soluble in aether. 



The carbon and hydrogen were estimated, as is usual in 

 substances containing nitrogen, the cotton being mixed with 

 oxide of copper, and the last few inches of the combustion- 

 tube filled with metallic copper. It decomposed quite tran- 

 quilly, not giving out more gas at once than could conve- 

 niently pass through the potash apparatus. 



In the first analysis 2*35 grs. gave 2*255 grs. of carbonic 

 acid and '665 gr. of water. In the second 2*075 grs. gave 

 2*01 grs. of carbonic acid and '59 gr. of water. 



Calculated to 100 parts — 



I. II. 



Carbon 2G*1G 26*4-1 



Hydrogen 3*14 3*19 



• Read to the Literary and Philosophical Society of Mancliestcr, Dec. 1, 

 1840, and communicated by tlie Aiitlior. 



Phil. Mafr. S. 3. Vol. 30. No. 198. Jan. 1847. B 



