Part 1

Chapter 13,173 wordsPublic domain

Transcriber's Notes:

Underscores "_" before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_ in the original text. Equal signs "=" before and after a word or phrase indicate =bold= in the original text. Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals. Hyphenation in the original is inconsistent, this has been retained. Subscripts are represented as _N and superscripts are represented as ^N where “N” is an integer.

DICTIONARY OF EXPLOSIVES

BY ARTHUR MARSHALL A.C.G.I., F.I.C., F.C.S. CHEMICAL INSPECTOR INDIAN ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT

PHILADELPHIA P. BLAKISTON’S SON & CO. 1012 WALNUT STREET

1920

_Printed in Great Britain_

INTRODUCTION

It is a generation since a dictionary of explosives has been published, and, in the meantime, many new explosives have been introduced. It is hoped, therefore, that this small volume, giving concise information about these special materials, may prove useful to those who have to deal with them. In Cundill and Thomson’s “Dictionary of Explosives,” issued in 1895, there are many entries of the names of inventors and of mixtures which had been proposed but have never been used commercially, nor are likely to be. As modern explosives were then in their infancy, it was no doubt wise to insert all the available information whether it appeared to be important or not; but now it seems to me better to restrict the scope of the dictionary so as to keep its size within moderate limits. Practically only explosives with special or proprietary names are therefore dealt with here. For information concerning chemical substances, such as the nitro-toluenes and other nitro-compounds, reference should be made to the textbooks on explosives and chemistry.

A few words may, however, be said here about the nitrocelluloses. These are made by treating cellulose with a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids, and then purifying the product by washing it thoroughly with hot water. The variety of cellulose most used for this purpose is cotton, and the product obtained from it is frequently called nitrocotton, three special varieties of which are collodion cotton, pyrocollodion and guncotton (_q. v._). The only other form of cellulose which is nitrated on a commercial scale is “chemical cellulose” obtained by the treatment of wood or straw. Nitrated wood cellulose has long been used for the manufacture of smokeless powders for shot-guns, and during the War the Germans made powders for rifled fire-arms from it.

No trouble has been spared to make the dictionary complete and accurate, but there must inevitably be omissions and errors in it, especially as regards the explosives of foreign countries. The author will be grateful for any additional information that may be sent him.

Explosives may be classified in various ways, according to the purpose of the classification, but the great majority of them fall naturally into two main divisions: propellants and high explosives. Propellants explode comparatively slowly, and are used to propel projectiles from fire-arms. High explosives are much more rapid in their action, and are used for bursting and shattering. Propellants are of two sorts, according as they are intended for use in shot-guns or rifled fire-arms. Those for shot-guns burn more rapidly than those for the latter, but both practically always contain a considerable proportion of nitrocellulose, gelatinised by means of such solvents as acetone or ether-alcohol, according as it is of high or low nitration. Some contain also nitroglycerine, and are then called nitroglycerine powders, whereas those that do not contain this substance are termed nitrocellulose powders. Many powders also contain other ingredients, as may be seen from the compositions given in this dictionary.

Of high explosives an important class is used for charging shells and bombs. As a rule, but not necessarily, these are not the same as the explosives used for mining operations and other general blasting purposes. Another important class is that of the coal-mine explosives, which are designed to give only a short and comparatively cool flame so as to diminish the danger of igniting fire-damp and coal-dust. Nearly half the explosives in this dictionary are coal-mine explosives. The reason for this large number is that no finality has yet been reached as to the best and safest explosives to use in coal mines. When more experience has been gained it is probable that the number of these explosives on the market will be reduced. In England the Permitted List has recently been cut down considerably.

In Great Britain these coal-mine explosives have to be submitted to the Inspectors of Explosives, and are subjected to tests for safety and strength. If they pass they are placed on the list of “Permitted Explosives,” and the compositions are published in the Explosives in Coal Mines Orders. In these Orders the upper and lower limits of the percentage of each constituent are given, but in this dictionary intermediate percentages are given so that the sum for any explosive amounts to 100. In the Explosives in Coal Mines Orders the percentage of such a substance as wood, meal or starch, is given in the dried condition, but here it is given in the air-dry state on the assumption that it then contains about 10 per cent. of moisture.

In France and Belgium also the compositions of the coal-mine explosives are published, but in Germany, as a rule, only a list of the constituents is given, and sometimes an upper or lower limit for one or more of the principal constituents. Moreover, it is not stated explicitly whether the explosives are intended for use in coal mines or for general blasting purposes. In the United States of America, explosives intended for use in coal mines are examined by the Bureau of Mines, which, however, has no power to prevent the use of others because regulations on this matter are made by the individual states. If they pass they are placed on the list of “Permissible Explosives.” The compositions are not published, but the class of composition is stated.

Until the second half of the nineteenth century, gunpowder was practically the only explosive used on a considerable scale, and it was employed for all purposes. Consequently it does not fall into any of the classes mentioned, or rather it could be placed in several of them.

Another class of explosives that has not yet been mentioned is that of the primary igniters, of which fulminate of mercury may be taken as typical. The characteristic of these is that they can be exploded or ignited by a spark or moderate friction, and consequently they can be employed to fire other, less sensitive explosives. There are, however, practically no explosives of this class which possess special or proprietary names, and consequently they are not dealt with in this dictionary.

_Naini Tal, India._ 1920.

CLASSIFICATION

COAL-MINE EXPLOSIVES

_American Permissible Explosives._

Aetna Coal Mine Powder. Bental Coal Powder. Bituminite. Black Diamond. Cameron Mine Powder. Carbonite. Coalite. Coal Special. Collier Powder. Cronite. Detonite. Du Pont Permissible. Eureka. Fort Pitt Mine Powder. Fuel-ite. Giant Coal Mine Powder. Guardian. Hecla No. 2. Hygrade Coal Powder. Kanite. Lomite. Lowinite. Meteor. Miners’ Friend. Min-ite. Monobel. Nitro Low-Flame. Red H. Trojan Coal Powder. Tunnelite. Vigorite. Xpdite.

_Austrian and Hungarian._

Chloratit. Dynammon. Progressit. Titanit.

_Belgian Explosifs S.G.P._

Alsilite. Antigel de Sûreté. Baelenite. Colinite antigrisouteuse. Cornil. Densite. Dynamite antigrisouteuse. Favier Explosives. Flammivore. Forcite antigrisouteuse. Fractorite. Grisoutine II. Grisoutite. Ingélite. Minerite. Minite. Minolite. Pulvérite. Sabulite antigrisouteuse. Securophore. Wallonite. Yonckite. (There were also several explosives made in Germany.)

_British._

*Abbcite. *Abelite. *Ajax Powder. *Albionite. *Amasite. *Ammonal. Ammonite. *Amvis. *Anchorite. *Aphosite. *Arkite. *Barking Powder. Bellite. Bobbinite. *Britonite. *Bull Dog. Cambrite. *Carbonite. *Celtite. *Cliffite. Cliffite (Super-). *Clydite. *Cornish Powder. *Coronite. *Curtisite. *Curtisite (Super-). Denaby Powder. *Dominite. *Dragonite. *Dreadnought Powder. Du Pont Permissible. *Duxite. Dynobel. *Electronite. Essex Powder. *Excellite. Excellite (Super-). Expedite. *Faversham Powder. Fortex (New). *Fracturite. *Gathurst Powder. *Good Luck. Haylite. *Herculite. *Kent Powder. Kentite. *Kolax. *Kolax (Super-). *Kynarkite. *Kynite. *Melling Powder. *Mersey Powder. *Minite. Monarkite. Monobel. *Monobel Powder. *Nationalite. Negro Powder. *Neonal. *Nitro-Densite. *Nobel Ammonia Powder. *Normanite. *Oaklite. *Odite. *Permon Powder. *Permonite. *Phœnix Powder. *Pit-ite. *Pitsea Powder. Rex Powder. *Rexite. *Rippite. Rippite (Super-). Roburite. *Russelite. Samsonite. *Saxonite. Seamex. *Sheppey Powder. *Stanford Powder. *Steelite (Colliery). *St. Helen’s Powder. Stomonal. *Stow-ite. *Sunderite. *Superite. *Swale Powder. *Swalite. *Syndite. Thames Powder. *Tutol. *Uplees Powder. *Victor Powder. *Victorite. Viking Powder. *Virite. *Westfalite. *Withnell Powder.

(Those marked * are not now on the Permitted List.)

_French._

Favier explosives. Grisounite. Grisoutine. N. Naphthalite (Grisou-).

_German._

Albit (Wetter-). Astralit (Wetter-). Bautzener Sicherheits-pulver. Bavarit. Cahuecit (Ammon-). Carbonite. Chloratzit. Chromamonit. Cosilit. Dahmenit. Detonit. Donarit. Dorfit. Dynamit (Wettersicheres). Elsagit (Ammon-). Foerder Sicherheitssprengstoff. Foerdit. Fulmenit (Wetter-). Gehlingerit. Gesilit. Glueckauf. Kohlenkarbonit. Koronit (Kohlen-). Lenit (Neu-). Lignosit. Monachit. Naphthalit. Nobelit. Orkanit. Pastanit. Permonit. Perrumpit. Persalit (Wetter-). Plastomenit. Rhenanit (Wetter-). Roburite. Romperit (Wetter-). Salit. Schlesit. Securite. Siegenit. Teutonit. Tremonit. Tunnelit. Walsrode (Wetter-). Westfalit. Wetter-Dynamit.

BLASTING EXPLOSIVES

Aerolit. Aetna. Albit. Alkalsit. Amasite. Ammonal. Ammoniakkrut. Anagon. Anilit. Astralit. Atlas Powder. Barbarit. Blastine. Blasting Gelatine. Bomlit. C. Cahuecit. Carbite d’Ablon. Carbo-Dynamite. Carlsonite. Cheddite. Chloratzite. Cugnite. Dahmenite. Denaby Powder. Densite. Dominit. Donarit. Dynamite. Electronite. Ergite. Erin Gelignite. Extra Dynamite. Forcite. Fumenit. Gehlingerit. Gelatinée a l’Ammoniaque. Gelatine Dynamite. Gelignite. Giant Powder. Halalite. Hammonit. Helagon. Helit. Hercules Powder. Imperialite. Judson Powder. Kausolit. Kinetit. Kiwit. Koronit. L.C. Pulver. Leonit. Ligdyn. Lignosit. Lithofracteur. Loewenpulver. Luxit. M.B. Powder. Marsit. Meganit. Melanite. Mercurit. Miedziankit. Minolite. Mitchellite. Monachit. Naphthalit. Nitrolit. O. Oakley Quarry Powder. Oxyliquit. Pastanil. Peragon. Perchlorit. Perdit. Perilit. Persalit. Petroklastit. Petrolit. Pfalzit. Pierrite. Plastammon. Plessit. Pniowit. Polarite. Praeposit. Prométhée. Prosperit. Rack-a-Rock. Raschit. Red Cross. Rendrock. Rexol. Rhenanit. Rhexit. Rivalit. Rockite. Romperit. Roslin Giant Blasting Powder. Sabulite. Saxonite. Sebomite. Sengite. Siegenit. Silesia. Sprengel Explosives. Sprengsalpeter. Steelite. Stonax. Telsit. Territ. Teutonit. Thornit. Titanite. Tonite. Tremonit. Velox Gelatine. Vender. Vigorite. Vulcan Powder. Wilhelmit. Yonckite.

HIGH EXPLOSIVES

(_For Shells and Bombs._)

Alumatol. Amatol. Amatoxol. Anilite. Astralit. Baratol. Cilferite. Crésylite. Dunnite. Echo. Ecrasite. Fuellpulver. Fumyl. Granatfuellung. H.E. Hellhofite. Himalayite. Hudson’s Explosive. Lyddite. Macarite. Mélinite. Nitrolit. Panclastite. Perdit. Plastrotyl. Schneiderite. Shellite. Stabilite. T.N.T. Toxol. Triplastit.

MISCELLANEOUS EXPLOSIVES

Black Powder. C.P. Centralite. Cheesa Sticks. Collodion Cotton. Flobert Ammunition. Glonoine. Halakite. Ophorite. Pulvérin. Pyrocollodion. Pyroxyline. Stabilite. Tetryl. White Gunpowder.

PROPELLANTS

(_For Shot-guns._)

Amberite. Cannonite. Clermonite. Cooppal’s Powder. Crystal. Du Pont Smokeless Powder. E.C. Powder. Economic. Eley Smokeless Powder. Empire. Felixite. Fulmen Powder. Henrite. Ideal Powder. J. K.S. M. Mischpulver. Mullerite. Neonite. New Explosives Co.’s Smokeless Powder. Normal Powder. Plastomenit. Primrose Smokeless. Red Star. Rifleite (Shot Gun). Rottweil Smokeless Powder. Ruby Powder. S. S.S. Schultze Powder. Smokeless Diamond. Stowmarket Smokeless. T. Troisdorf Smokeless Powder. Walsrode Shot Gun Powder.

(_For Rifled Fire-arms._)

Amide Powder. Ammonpulver. Apyrite. Axite. B. Ballistite. Brugère’s Powder. Cocao Powder. Cordite. C.S.P. Filite. Hebler Powder. Indurite. Lafflin and Rand. Moddite. N.C.T. Neonite. Nitrokol. Normal Powder. P.C./88. R.F.G. R.L.G. Rifleite. Rottweil Smokeless Powder. S.K. S.R. S.V. Solenite. Troisdorf Smokeless Powder. Wetteren.

DICTIONARY OF EXPLOSIVES

=ABBCITE.=--A coal-mine explosive made by Kynoch, Ltd. The original composition which passed the Woolwich Test was--

Ammonium nitrate 80 Nitroglycerine 10 Wood meal 10

To enable it to pass the Rotherham Test sodium chloride was added, and a little dinitro-toluene was also introduced--

ABBCITE NO. 2. _Date of Permit_ 3-7-15

Ammonium nitrate 58 Nitroglycerine 8·5 Wood meal 9 Dinitro-toluene 1·5 Sodium chloride 23

Limit charge 18 oz. Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·54”

The permit has now been repealed.

=ABELITE.=--A coal-mine explosive made by the Lancashire Explosives Co. Two formulas were approved--

No. 1. No. 4. _Date of Permit_ 7-4-14 15-1-15

Ammonium nitrate 68·5 67 Dinitro-benzene 7 -- Trinitro-toluene 7 14·5 Sodium chloride 17·5 7 Starch -- 11·5

Limit charge 14 oz. 18 oz. Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·85” 2·79”

The permits have now been repealed.

Abelite (without distinguishing number) is simply a mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitro-toluene--

Ammonium nitrate 83 Trinitro-toluene 17

It is therefore a variety of Bellite in which the dinitro-benzene has been replaced by trinitro-toluene. It is used for filling grenades and general blasting purposes, but is not permitted in dangerous coal mines.

=AEROLIT= is a Danish ammonium nitrate explosive, _e.g._--

Ammonium nitrate 78·125 Potassium nitrate 7·5 Sulphur 8·75 Fat 2·5 Sago meal 1·25 Manganese dioxide 1·25 Resin 0·625

=AETNA COAL POWDER= is an American coal-mine powder on the Permissible List. Brands A, B and C are nitroglycerine explosives. AA and No. 2 are ammonium nitrate explosives.

=AETNA POWDER.=--A variety of American dynamite containing 15 to 65 per cent. of nitroglycerine mixed with wood pulp and sodium nitrate. Roasted flour has sometimes been substituted for wood pulp.

=AJAX POWDER.=--A coal-mine explosive made by Nobel’s Explosives Co.

_Date of Permit_ 1-9-13 Nitroglycerine 22·3 Nitrocotton 0·7 Di- and trinitro-toluenes 3·5 Potassium perchlorate 37 Wood meal 11·5 Ammonium oxalate 25 Limit charge 12 oz. Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·69”

In 1914, 329,000 lbs. were used in coal mines, but the permit has now been repealed.

=ALBIONITE.=--A mixture of gelignite and ammonium oxalate. It was formerly on the Permitted List.

=ALBIT.=--A German chlorate explosive introduced in 1915 in consequence of the scarcity of nitrates due to the War. It is defined as consisting of not more than 80 per cent. sodium or potassium chlorate, not more than 4 per cent. nitroglycerine, and mono- or dinitro-hydrocarbons. It may also contain inorganic salts and carbon carriers such as vegetable meal, oils, soaps or carbohydrates. A variety made for use in coal mines is called Wetter-Albit or Kohlen-Albit.

=ALDORFIT.= See =DORFIT=.

=ALKALSIT.=--A German chlorate or perchlorate explosive made by the Dynamit A.-G. of Hamburg. It contains not more than 80 per cent. sodium or potassium chlorate, or not more than 80 per cent. sodium, potassium or ammonium perchlorate, and 19 per cent. of aromatic nitro-hydrocarbons and nitrocotton, also coal, hydrocarbons or carbohydrates, and nitrates. The chlorate mixtures must not contain ammonium salts. Alkalsit I contains not more than 27 per cent. of potassium perchlorate, ammonium nitrate, not more than 24 per cent. of sodium nitrate, not more than 8 per cent. of trinitro-toluene, also wood meal, flour and nitro-naphthalene. Alkalsit A contains not more than 55 per cent. of potassium perchlorate, ammonium nitrate, not more than 31 per cent. trinitro-toluene, and not more than 5 per cent. of a neutral liquid mixture of nitrated toluenes. Alkalsit B is similar except that it contains also ammonium nitrate.

=ALSILITE S.G.P.=--A Belgian coal-mine explosive on the list of Explosifs S.G.P. It is of the Ammonal type--

Ammonium nitrate 62 Trinitro-toluene 11 Ferro-silicon-aluminium 5 Sodium chloride 22

Charge limite 900 g.

=ALUMATOL.=--A mixture of ammonium nitrate, trinitro-toluene and a little aluminium powder, used for charging trench-mortar bombs, etc.

=AMASITE.=--A coal-mine explosive formerly on the Permitted List--

Ammonium perchlorate 34 Sodium nitrate 31 Myrobolans 34·7 Agar agar 0·3

It was made by the Société Anonyme de Vilvorde in Belgium, and was originally called Ugolite.

Rock Amasite and S.T. Amasite are non-permitted explosives of composition somewhat similar to the above.

=AMATOL.=--A mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitro-toluene. The composition is shown by the figures placed after the name; thus Amatol 40/60 contains 40 per cent. ammonium nitrate and 60 per cent. trinitro-toluene, and Amatol 80/20 consists of 80 parts ammonium nitrate and 20 parts trinitro-toluene. These explosives are used very extensively for filling shell and other projectiles. The mixtures rich in trinitro-toluene can be cast after being heated to temperature above the melting-point of this constituent, but those rich in ammonium nitrate are stemmed into the projectile hot or pressed. Similar mixtures are used by the Germans and other powers under various names. In Germany it is called Füllpulver (q. v.).

=AMATOXOL.=--A mixture of ammonium nitrate and Toxol, which consists of trinitro-toluene and trinitro-xylene.

*=AMBERITE.=--A smokeless shot-gun powder made by Curtis’s and Harvey at Tonbridge. Amberite No. 1 contained nitroglycerine as well as nitrocotton and various other substances. According to “Arms and Explosives,” 1917, p. 78, a sample of Amberite No. 2 had the composition--

Insoluble nitrocotton 18·6 Soluble ” 46·0 Nitrates of potassium and barium 28·0 Vaseline 6·0 Volatile matter 1·4

This is still on the market. It is a fibrous 42-grain bulk powder.

*=AMIDE POWDER= or Chilworth Special Powder was an early attempt at a smokeless powder. Under the name of Amidpulver it was used by the German artillery for some years in the ’eighties of the last century. Its composition was--

Ammonium nitrate 35-38 Potassium nitrate 40-46 Charcoal 14-22