1894.] Researches on Modern Explosives. 



object of using gun-cotton for the charges of rifle ammunition, but no 

 success was obtained, and the matter dropped. 



Other explosives, consisting principally of nitro-lignin or nitro- 

 cellulose, not gelatinised, and mixed with nitrates or other substances, 

 were afterwards invented and adopted for sporting guns successfully, 

 and have been largely sold in the market under different well-known 

 names. These explosives, however, were not found suitable for the 

 charges of rifles and guns. 



Further development in the science of artillery, and a better know- 

 ledge of the action of explosives, encouraged further researches for 

 the production of new propelling agents for rifles and guns, and 

 these researches have been so far successful that in a few years 

 several new powders have been produced, each one of which is far 

 superior to black gunpowder. 



The new explosives now in use contain nitro-cellulose as one of 

 their principal elements ; some of them contain also mtro-glycerin 

 in more or less proportion ; the nitro-cellulose, by solution in nitro- 

 glycerin, acetone, or other suitable solvent, is gelatinised, and by 

 mechanical means the explosive compound is compressed and squirted 

 into cords, or rolled into sheets, and then cut into strips or grains 

 of suitable size for the different firearms. 



The great secret of all these modern explosives seems to be that by 

 the above means they are made into a solid substance, thus avoiding 

 any porosity, and it appears probable that by doing so even the most 

 powerful explosive can be mastered, so that, burning regularly from 

 the surface, the rate of combustion can be controlled so as to avoid 

 detonation. 



This constitutes the most striking feature of the modern smokeless 

 gunpowders, especially of those containing nitro-glycerin. If cer- 

 tain sized cubes, strips or cords of such powders are fired in a certain 

 gun, and the length of this gun does not allow of sufficient time 

 during the travel of the shot, for the explosive to be entirely con- 

 sumed, the unbnrnt residue of the charge will be found to be of the 

 same shape, whether cubes, strips or cords, only reduced in size ; 

 thus proving the most perfect surface combustion of these explosives. 



It is thus possible to determine accurately what quantity of explo- 

 sive, and what surface of combustion for the same, will be required, 

 in order to obtain certain results in a certain gun, thus avoiding 

 waste of powder. 



This property of modern smokeless powder was illustrated on the 

 occasion of a disastrous fire which occurred in May, 1890, at the 

 factory of Avigliana, Italy, where large quantities of the explosive 

 called ballistite were manufactured for the Government. In one 

 building twelve tons of this explosive were collected, and various 

 operations of manufacture were performed. By accident some of it 



