Collodions

A commonly used detector is a Golay cell, in which there is a far-infrared absorbing material, such as aluminium deposited on collodion, inside the entrance window of the cell. 

The aluminium absorbs the radiation, heats up and transfers the heat to xenon gas contained in the cell. As the temperature of the gas varies the curvature of a flexible mirror of antimony-coated collodion, forming a part of the cell, changes. Reflection of a light beam from this mirror, which is on the outside of the Golay cell, indicates its curvature and therefore the intensity of radiation absorbed by the cell. 

Sir Joseph Swan, as a result of his quest for carbon fiber for lamp filaments (2), learned how to denitrate nitrocellulose using ammonium sulfide. In 1885 he exhibited the first textiles made from this new artificial sHk, but with carbon fiber being his main theme he failed to foUow up on the textile possibihties. Meanwhile Count Hilaire de Chardoimet (3) was researching the nitrocellulose route and had perfected his first fibers and textiles in time for the Paris Exhibition in 1889. There he got the necessary financial backing for the first Chardoimet silk factory in Besancon in 1890. His process involved treating mulberry leaves with nitric and sulfuric acids to form cellulose nitrate which could be dissolved in ether and alcohol. This collodion solution could be extmded through holes in a spinneret into warm air where solvent evaporation led to the formation of soHd cellulose nitrate filaments. 

Membrane filtration has been used in the laboratory for over a century. The earliest membranes were homogeneous stmctures of purified coUagen or 2ein. The first synthetic membranes were nitrocellulose (collodion) cast from ether in the 1850s. By the early 1900s, standard graded nitrocellulose membranes were commercially available (1). Their utihty was limited to laboratory research because of low transport rates and susceptibiUty to internal plugging. They did, however, serve a useflil role in the separation and purification of coUoids, proteins, blood sera, enzymes, toxins, bacteria, and vimses (2). 

Nobel invented gelatinous dynamite in 1875 by accident. He investigated the effect of nitroglycerine on the collodion (nitrocellulose in a mixture of ether and alcohol) that he used to treat a cut finger and found that it produced a tough plastic material with adjustable viscosity and high water resistance. 

Kleb-, Klebe-. adhesive, adherent, sticking. Kleb-ather, m. collodion, -band, n. adhesive tape. 

Nitromatweed (Matweed Nitrate, Nitrosparte in Fr). Prepd by nitration of dried matweed with mixed nitric-sulfuric acids in a manner similar to the prepn of NC. Trench, Faure and MacKie (Ref 2), in 1876, patented expls containing as a base nitrosparte (or other nitrated cellulosic material such as cotton, hay, agave, hemp, flax, straw, aloe, yucca, etc) together with resin, ozokerite, collodion, glycerin, charcoal and soot. Hengst (Ref 3), in 1898, patented a smokeless powd containing nitrosparte prepd by nitration of fibers covering the coconut shell Refs 1) Merriam Webster s Diet, 2nd Ed (1963), ... 

MC No 3 Powder. Austrian safety expl (1898) contg Amm nitrate 91.6 and collodion cotton 8.4%... 

Methylnitropropanolnitrate readily gelatinizes collodion cotton and, to a lesser extent, higher-nitrogen NC. Its explosive power is comparable to that of TNT, and about 75% of that of blasting gelatin. It is very insensitive to detonation, and for this reason its sand test value could not be detd... 

Military Blasting Gelatines. Expls used in Austria between 1878 and 1892 contg 96p of blasting gelatin (NG 90, Collodion Cotton 10%) and 4p of camphor. A similar expl was used in Russia during WWI for filling trench mortar rounds. 

Monachit. A Ger blasting expl also known as Vigorit. Monachit I cont AN 81, trinitroxylene (TNX) 13, K nitrate 5, and flour 1%. Monachit II cont AN 64, TNX 12, K nitrate plus Na nitrate 3, K chloride 19, charcoal 1, collodion cotton 1%. Monachit II has a limit charge of more than 500g. Its vel of deton at d 1.20 g/cc is about 4800m/sec, while at d 1.56g/cc it falls to I780m/sec... 

Monarkite. Brit permitted mining expl contg typically NG 12.0, AN 4.97, Na chloride 24.5, Na nitrate 7.5, starch 4.0, mineral jelly 2.0, and collodion cotton 0.3%. Its charge limit is 26oz, and power by BalPend is 2.61 inches... 

Nahsen Dynamites. Contained creosote to lower the freezing point of the mixt, A typical formulation contained creosote 41.5, NG 25.0, K nitrate 18.0, rye flour 9.0, collodion cotton 1.0 Na bicarbonate 5.5%... 

Nahsen Explosives. Several commercial expls of the carbonite type were patented in 1899 by Spregnstoffwerke Dr R. Nahsen Co of Hamburg, Ger. One was named Phoenix Powder and contained NG 29.5, K nitrate 32.0, wood meal 38.0 collodion cotton 0.5%... 

Pb or Ba dioxides 1% finely pulverized Cu 2% an extremely brisant expl. (d) Brisant expls were prepd by mixing solid or liq N.S.N. with PA in all proportions, (e) Gelantinous, dough-like expls can be prepd by dissolving 6p of collodion cotton in 94p of oily N.S.N., preheated to 100°. (f) By incorporating, with warming, 30—40% of AN plus flour into the above mixt (e), a solid mass is obtained which may be pulverized and used in lieu of Dynamites Refs 1) G. Schultz F. Gehr, USP 894707 (1906) 2) C. Distier, E. Blecher C. Lopez,... 

Neonals. Brit permissible expls No 1 K perchlorate 14, NG 40, collodion cotton 2, wood-meal 4.5, Amm oxalate 39.5 w 0.5% power by BalPend 2.51", limit charge 30 oz No 2 ... 

Newit. A Rus pre-WWI mining expl contg NG (gelatinized with collodion cotton) 4, AN 78, K nitrate 5, Na chloride 8 vegetable meal 5% Ref Anon, SS 12, 431 (1917)... 

Nitrol. Early Brit plastic safety expl, patented by O. Silberrad in 1912 (Ref 2). A typical formulation is Nitrol 10, highly. nitrated benzene hydrocarbons 20, collodion cotton 0.5, and AN 69.5%. Under the same name, O. Silberrad took... 

Nobel it. One of the permissible Gelatine-Dy narrates manufd by the Nobel Explosive Co. It contd NG 28.0, collodion cotton 0.7, AN 39.7, dextrin 2.5, potato flour 10.0, vegetable oil... 

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