Ammonal: ammonium nitrate 80 to 90 per cent, aluminium 4 to 18 per
cent, charcoal 2 to 6 per cent. The more violent mixtures contain some
trinitrotoluene in addition. Has been used in grenades and by Austrians
in trench-howitzer bombs. Not suitable in underground workings owing to
poisonous gases evolved.
Astralit: a mixture of ammonium nitrate and blasting gelatine. May
contain wood-meal, trinitrotoluene, paraffin-oil. Has been used for
projectiles.
Carbodynamite: nitroglycerine absorbed in cork charcoal instead of
guhr.
Gelignite: nitroglycerine 56 to 63 per cent, nitrocotton 4 per cent,
wood-meal 7 per cent, potassium nitrate 27 per cent, calcium carbonate
0.2 per cent.
Oxyliquit: liquid oxygen absorbed in a porous combustible material.
Used in construction of Simplon Tunnel. Very cheap; safe after misfire
because oxygen evaporates off.
Perdit: German mining, demolition, and rifle grenade explosive.
Ammonium nitrate 76 per cent, potassium perchlorate 6 per cent,
wood-meal 2 per cent, dinitrotoluene 16 per cent.
Rendarock: a brand of American dynamite.
Sprengel Explosives: one or both of the substances to be liquid, and
mixing to occur shortly before firing. Nitric acid, alkali chloride,
nitrogen peroxide on nitrobenzene, nitronaphthalene, carbon bisulphide,
petrol, picric acid. Panclastite, Promethee, Rack-a-Rock, are examples
of this class.
Tonite: gun-cotton and barium nitrate.