Nitroglycerine 32·25
Collodion cotton 1·25
Ammonium nitrate 22·6
Sodium nitrate 10·8
Vegetable meal 18
Potassium chloride 5·5
Gelatine 1·05
Dextrin 1·05
Glycerine 4·3
Moisture 3·2
Limit charge 50 g.
Wettersicheres Gelatine-=DYNAMIT=.--A German coal-mine
explosive--
I. I_a_.
Nitroglycerine 40 38
Collodion cotton 1 1
Ammonium nitrate 27 25·5
Potassium nitrate 4 5
Ammonium oxalate -- 2·5
Rye flour 10 4
Liquid hydrocarbons 3·5 14
Fatty acid salt 12·5 10
Wood meal 2 --
Limit charge 50 100 g.
=DYNAMITE= is a name that has been given to various
nitroglycerine explosives. Dynamite No. 1 consists of--
Nitroglycerine 75
Kieselguhr 25
the explosive being held in the pores of the kieselguhr. In other
dynamites the nitroglycerine is absorbed in a material like wood
meal, and a nitrate is added to oxidise the latter on explosion.
In Gelatine Dynamite the nitroglycerine is gelatinised with collodion
cotton. See under Gelatine.
American Dynamites are not generally gelatinised with collodion
cotton. They are made in a number of grades, depending on the
percentage of nitroglycerine.
For further details about various dynamites, see textbooks on
explosives.
=DYNAMITE ANTIGRISOUTEUSE.=--Belgian coal-mine explosive made at
Baelen Wezel--
IV. V.
Nitroglycerine 24 Nitroglycerine 44
Collodion cotton 1 Sodium sulphate 44
Ammonium nitrate 75 Wood meal 12
Of the above, IV. was found only to be safe in very small charges
in the presence of fire-damp. No. V. has a “charge limite” of 700
grammes.
=DYNAMMON.=--The coal-mine explosive provided by the Austrian
State monopoly--
Dynammon. Wetter-Dynammon.
Ammonium nitrate 87-88 94
Potassium nitrate -- 2
Red charcoal 12-13 4
Density 0·9 0·85
=DYNOBEL.=--A coal-mine explosive made by Nobels. The first
formula to pass the Rotherham Test contained potassium perchlorate--
_Date of Permit_ 1-9-13
Nitroglycerine 33
Collodion cotton 0·7
Potassium perchlorate 27
Wood meal 10·3
Ammonium oxalate 29
Limit charge 22 oz.
Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·61”
Subsequently other formulæ of somewhat different composition
passed the test--
No. 2. No. 3. No. 4.
_Date of Permit_ 16-8-15 14-4-16 14-4-16
Nitroglycerine 19·5 15 15
Collodion cotton 0·5 0·5 0·5
Trinitro-toluene}
Dinitro-toluene } together 2 1·5 3
Dinitro-benzene }
Ammonium nitrate 42 52 46
Wood meal 5·5 5·5 5·5
Sodium chloride 30 25 29·5
Magnesium carbonate 0·5 0·5 0·5
Limit charge 24 18 30 oz.
Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·46 2·50 2·35”
Of these only Nos. 3 and 4 are still permitted.
=*E.C. POWDER= was one of the first smokeless shot-gun powders,
and is still one of the most successful. The composition has
been varied somewhat from time to time, but it has always been a
fibrous bulk powder. The following analyses were given in “Arms and
Explosives,” 1917, p. 76--
No. 1. No. 2. No. 3.
_Date of Introduction_ 1882 1890 1897
_Class_ 42-grain 42-grain 33-grain
Nitrocotton, insoluble 30·0 15·9 44·0
” soluble 28·2 41·0 30·4
Metallic nitrates 37·8 38·3 14·0
Resin 2·1 2·0 --
Vaseline -- -- 6·0
Camphor -- 1·0 4·0
Moisture 1·9 1·8 1·6
The powder is manufactured at Green Street Green, near Dartford in
Kent. The name is derived from “Explosives Company.”
=ECHO= or =EKKO= is a blasting explosive made at
Nitedal in Norway, consisting of ammonium nitrate, nitrocotton,
trinitro-toluene, aluminium powder, and sometimes ferro-silicon. It
has been used on the Continent for filling hand-grenades.
*=ECONOMIC SMOKELESS SPORTING POWDER= is a 42-grain bulk powder
for shot-guns, made by the E.C. Powder Company.
=ECRASITE= or =EKRASIT= is a high explosive used in Austria
for filling shell and other military purposes. It is the ammonium
salt of trinitro-cresol.
=ELECTRONITE.=--There have been several explosives of this name,
but none of them have been used extensively, and all are dead now.
There was a coal-mine explosive formerly on the Permitted List--
Ammonium nitrate 73
Barium nitrate 19
Starch and slightly-charred wood meal 8
It was made by Curtis’s and Harvey.
=ELEY SMOKELESS SPORTING POWDER= is a shot-gun powder similar to
=E.C.=
Ammon-=ELSAGIT= is a German coal-mine explosive. It contains
ammonium nitrate, vegetable meal, not more than 6 per cent. of
trinitro-toluene or other nitro-body, not more than 4 per cent. of
blasting gelatine, and may also contain fatty oils, alkali chlorides
or oxalate, and sodium or potassium nitrate.
Gesteins-=ELSAGIT= has much the same composition, but the
percentage of trinitro-toluene may be raised to 12, and it contains
no sodium or potassium nitrate.
*=EMPIRE POWDER= is a smokeless shot-gun powder introduced
in 1902 by Nobel’s Explosives Company. It is a fibrous 33-grain
bulk powder, and, according to an analysis published in “Arms and
Explosives,” 1917, p. 77, its composition is--
Nitrocotton, insoluble 48·0
” soluble 34·0
Metallic nitrates 9·0
Vaseline 7·0
Moisture 2·0
=ERGITE.=--A blasting explosive which was made for a few years
in a factory in North Wales. Other explosives were also made under
the names of Granergite, Shattergite, etc.
=ERIN GELIGNITE.=--A Gelignite containing a small percentage of
dinitro-toluene to prevent the nitroglycerine freezing.
=ESSEX POWDER.=--A coal-mine explosive made by the Explosives
and Chemical Products, Ltd. It is on the Permitted List--
_Date of Permit_ 1-9-13
Nitroglycerine 23
Nitrocotton 1
Potassium nitrate 34
Wheat flour 36
Ammonium chloride 6
Limit charge 38 oz.
Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·17”
=EUREKA No. 2= is an American coal-mine explosive on the
Permissible List. It contains nitroglycerine and a hydrated salt.
=EXCELLITE.=--A coal-mine explosive formerly on the Permitted
List--
Nitroglycerine 8
Ammonium nitrate 82·5
Collodion cotton 1
Dinitro-toluene 3
Wood meal 4·5
Castor oil 1
=SUPER-EXCELLITE= is a modification of this, containing salts as
cooling agents. Three formulæ passed the Rotherham Test--
No. 2. No. 3.
_Date of Permit_ 1-9-13 7-4-14 22-6-14
Nitroglycerine 4 5 9·5
Collodion cotton -- -- 0·5
Ammonium nitrate 75·5 50 59
Potassium nitrate 7 20 --
Starch 3·5 5 4·5
Castor oil -- -- 1
Ammonium chloride -- 5 --
Sodium chloride -- -- 15
Ammonium oxalate 10 15 10·5
Limit charge 10 14 36 oz.
Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·74 2·72 2·73”
It will be seen that all three are about equal as regards power, but
that No. 3, which contains the largest proportion of cooling agents
and more nitroglycerine, can be used safely in much greater charges.
In 1916 807,000 lbs. of No. 3 were used in mines and quarries,
principally in coal mines. It is recommended by the makers, Curtis’s
and Harvey, for hard coal and colliery work generally. The permits of
the others have been repealed.
=EXPEDITE= is a coal-mine explosive on the Permitted List made
by Explosives and Chemical Products, Ltd.--
_Date of Permit_ 25-11-13
Ammonium nitrate 35
Potassium nitrate 33
Trinitro-toluene 12
Ammonium chloride 20
Limit charge more than 32 oz.
Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·62”
See also =XPDITE=.
=EXPLOSIFS N=, =O=, etc. See under respective letters.
=EXTRA DYNAMITE= is a variety of American dynamite containing
ammonium nitrate.
=FAVERSHAM POWDER= is a coal-mine explosive of the Grisounite
type made by the Cotton Powder Co. The mixture, which was on the old
Permitted List, had the composition--
Ammonium nitrate 90
Trinitro-toluene 10
To make it pass the Rotherham Test, part of the ammonium nitrate was
replaced by potassium nitrate, and ammonium chloride was added--
No. 2.
_Date of Permit_ 10-2-14
Ammonium nitrate 47·5
Potassium nitrate 24
Ammonium chloride 18·5
Trinitro-toluene 10
Limit charge 24 oz.
Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·61”
but this also has now been repealed.
=FAVIER= explosives consist essentially of ammonium nitrate
mixed with nitro-compounds. Favier took out patents in 1884 and
1885 for mixtures of ammonium nitrate with mononitro-naphthalene,
paraffin and resin. Their manufacture was undertaken soon afterwards
by the French Government, and is still continued under the names of
Explosifs N, or Explosifs Favier or Grisounites. Their composition
has been varied from time to time, but the following are those now
authorised--
Grisou-naphtalite- Grisou-naphtalite-.
couche. roche.
N_1 a. N_4. N_1 b.
Ammonium nitrate 95 90 91·5 86·5
Potassium nitrate -- 5 -- 5
Dinitro-naphthane -- -- 8·5 8·5
Trinitro-naphthalene 5 5 -- --
Tetryl -- -- -- --
For mines free from
Grisou-tetrylite-couche. fire-damp, etc.
N_1 c.
Ammonium nitrate 88 87·4
Potassium nitrate 5 --
Dinitro-naphthane -- 12·6
Trinitro-naphthalene -- --
Tetryl 7 --
The Grisounites-couche are used in the coal seams as they have
theoretical temperatures of explosion of 1500° or less, but N_1 a
has been replaced to a considerable extent by N_4, because the
presence of a proportion of potassium nitrate is found to increase
the safety; these are both coloured green. The Grisounites-roche have
theoretical temperatures of explosion of 1900° or less, and are used
in the rocks in coal mines. N_1 b is dyed rose colour, and N_1 c
pale yellow.
Many explosives of this type are in use in different countries. On
the old British Permitted List were Ammonite, Westfalite, Bellite
and Roburite amongst others. Those now on the List contain ammonium
or sodium chloride to enable them to pass the Rotherham Test, _e.g._
the later Ammonites, Bellite Nos. 2 and 4, Faversham Powder and Negro
Powder.