368 CLASSIFICATION OF EXPLOSIVES. 



2. GENERAL LIST OF EXPLOSIVES. 



1. Let us enumerate the explosive bodies which fulfil these 

 conditions. They belong to eight distinct groups of substances. 

 These are 



First group. Explosive gases, such as 



(1) Ozone, hypochlorous acid, the gaseous oxides of chlorine, 

 etc., which detonate under very slight influences for instance, 

 slight heating or sudden compression. 



(2) Various gases also formed with absorption of heat, but more 

 stable, gases which do not explode under the influence of pro- 

 gressive heating or moderate compression. Nevertheless, they 

 may explode through the detonation of mercury fulminate. 

 Such are acetylene, nitric oxide, cyanogen, arseniuretted 

 hydrogen, etc. (p. 66). 



2. Second group. Detonating gaseous mixtures formed by 

 the association of oxygen or chlorine, oxides of nitrogen with 

 hydrogen, hydrogenated gases, and carburetted and hydro- 

 carburetted gases or vapours. 



3. Third group. Explosive inorganic compounds, definite 

 bodies, liquids or solids, capable of exploding by shock, friction, 

 or heating, such as 



(1) Nitrogen sulphide, nitrogen chloride, and nitrogen iodide. 

 Mercury nitride and some other metallic nitrides. Fulminating 

 gold and mercury oxides, which are also nitrated derivatives. 



(2) The liquid oxacids of chlorine and concentrated per- 

 manganic acid. 



(3) Solid ammoniacal salts formed by the oxacids of chlorine, 

 nitrogen, chromium, manganese, and similar substances. 



4. Fourth group. Explosive organic compounds, definite bodies, 

 solid or liquid, capable of exploding by shock, friction, or heat- 

 ing, such as 



(1) Nitric ethers properly so called; nitric ether, nitro- 

 glycerin, nitromannite, etc. 



(2) The nitric derivatives of the carbohydrates : cotton, paper, 

 wood, various kinds of cellulose, dextrine, sugar, etc. 



(3) Nitro-derivatives, especially aromatic derivatives for 

 instance, trinitro-phenol and its salts (picric acid and picrates), 

 nitro-oxyphenol (oxypicric acid and oxypicrates), tetranitro- 

 methane, chloropicrine (chloronitro-methane). Nitromethane 

 and its homologues, as well as their derivatives, are also classed 

 here. 



(4) The diazo derivatives, such as diazobenzene nitrate and 

 similar bodies, nitrolic acids and other polynitro-derivatives, 

 nitro ethane, to which the fulminates of mercury and silver, 

 etc., seem to belong. 



(5) The derivatives of highly oxygenated mineral acids, such 

 as, on the one hand, nitrites, nitrates, chlorates, perchlorates, 



