EXPLOSIVES. 



345 



The following analyses give the composition 

 of several dynamite powders in which gun- 

 powder is the absorbent : 



Similar to the foregoing are the giant pow- 

 der, Jupiter powder, thunderbolt powder, titan 

 powder, rendrock powder, etc. Colonia pow- 

 der, invented by Wasserfuhr, is a modified 

 gunpowder saturated with nitro-glycerin. Vig- 

 orite invented by Bjorkmann, consists of from 

 5 to 20 parts of sugar or molasses, 25 to 30 

 parts of nitric acid, and 50 to 75 parts of 

 sulphuric acid. In this country, a preparation 

 having the following composition potassium 

 chlorate, 17*50 per cent.; potassium nitrate, 

 18-75; chalk, 8'75; sawdust, 11-25; and nitro- 

 glycerin, 43-75 has been sold under the same 

 name. Lithofracteur, invented by Engel, is 

 composed of nitro-glycerin 55 parts, infusorial 

 earth 21 parts, and 24 parts of carbon, pre- 

 pared bran, prepared wood-pulp, barium ni- 

 trate, sodium bicarbonate, manganese dioxide, 

 and sulphur. Trauzl gives the following as the 

 approximate percentage composition of this 

 material : nitro-glycerin, 52 ; silicious earth 

 and sand, 30 ; powdered coal, 12 ; sodium 

 nitrate, 4; and sulphur, 2. Mica Powder 

 invented by Mowbray, consists of finely di- 

 vided mica-scales (a non-absorbent aluminium 

 silicate) and tri-nitro-glycerin, in the propor- 

 tion of 475 of the first to 525 of the second. 

 Two grades of this compound were made 

 No. 1 with 52 per cent, and No. 2 with 40 per 

 cent, of nitro-glycerin. This explosive was 

 largely used in excavating the Hoosac Tunnel. 

 Pantopolite is the name given to a German 

 invention. It consists of nitro-glycerin dis- 

 solved in naphthalin. Where the absorbent 

 is sponge or other vegetable fiber, the name of 

 porifera nitroleum is given ; selenitic powder, 

 when the absorbent is plaster of Paris ; and 

 metalline nitroleum, when red lead is used as 

 the absorbent. 



Explosive Gelatine, or gelatine dynamite, in- 

 vented by Nobel, consists of from 2 to 7 per 

 cent, gun-cotton dissolved in nitro-glycerin. 

 The nitro-glycerin is first raised to a tempera- 

 ture of about 50 C., and finely divided gun 

 (nitro) cotton is then gradually added, the 

 mixture being continually worked in a mace- 

 rator, and the temperature maintained at a 

 maximum of 35 0. It is a transparent, elas- 

 tic, pale-yellowish, gummy substance, having 

 a density of 1*6. It is very insensible to shock, 

 to friction, and to the pressure or action of 

 water. To produce complete explosion in a 

 free state, and to develop the great force cor- 



responding to the chemical composition, a 

 powerful detonator is necessary. It is one of 

 the most powerful explosives in existence for 

 marine purposes, and its manufacture is largely 

 superseding that of dynamite in Europe. At 

 the St. Gothard Tunnel it was found to be from 

 one and a quarter to one and a half times as 

 effective as dynamite. The following table, 

 prepared by Trauzl, shows the composition and 

 relative strength of the different grades of 

 gelatine dynamite : 



Military Explosive Gelatine, invented by 

 Trauzl, consists of 96 per cent, of explosive 

 gelatine to which 4 per cent, of camphor has 

 been added. This compound is considered safe 

 against the effects of bullets, even at short 

 range. It has been adopted by the Austrian 

 military officials for field -service purposes. 

 Powders made from gelatinized dynamite, ac- 

 cording to Abel, will be the powerful explo- 

 sives of the future. Forcite, invented by Lew- 

 in, is a modification of the gelatine dynamite, 

 and is made by dissolving unnitrated cellulose 

 (as pure cotton) in nitro-glycerin. Saltpeter is 

 then incorporated with the nitro-glycerin and 

 gelatinized cotton. The proportions of the 

 different ingredients vary according to the 

 grade desired. One of the best compositions 

 is nitro-glycerin 75, gelatinized cotton 7, and 

 saltpeter 18. Dextrine may be substituted for 

 a large proportion of the gelatinized cotton, 

 thus: nitro-glycerin, 70; gelatinized cotton, 

 1 ; dextrine, 5 ; saltpeter, 15 ; ordinary cellu- 

 lose. 9. This explosive is less expensive than 

 many of the other compounds of nitro-glycerin, 

 and its properties are almost identical with 

 those of the gelatine dynamite. 



Potassium Chlorate Powders. The peculiar 

 power of potassium chlorate, and its violent 

 oxidizing properties, have given rise to many 

 attempts to employ it in the preparation of 

 substitutes for gunpowder. White gunpowder, 

 Horseley^s powder, and Ehrhardfs powder, are 

 well-known compounds of this description. 

 Oriental Powder, consisting of potassium chlo- 

 rate, potassium nitrate, and crude gamboge, 

 has been extensively used for blasting pur- 

 poses in the oil-regions of Pennsylvania. Py~ 

 ronome, invented by Sandoy, consists of 69 

 parts of potassium nitrate, 9 of sulphur, 10 of 



