Erosiveness nitroglycerine powders

This means that nitroglycerine powders are more erosive (greater bore wear) (p. 548) and more flashy (p. 544). 

In comparison with nitroglycerine nitro compounds give a powder with a lower temperature of explosion that produces less erosion and flash. Powders containing nitro compounds with nitroglycerine were later adopted in the USSR... 

Cordite MD is an improved powder. It contains less nitroglycerine than Mk I and is, therefore, less erosive. Cordite owes it name to the fact that it is made of cords, the size (diameter) of which is denoted by a figure giving the diameter of the die in hundredths of an inch. Thus, for instance, Cordite 50 denotes a powder in the form of a cord extruded from a die of in. (50/100 in.) dia. 

In some countries, especially during World War I when nitroglycerine was in short supply, it was partly replaced by aromatic nitro compounds, e.g. liquid DNT (a liquid mixture of DNT and TNT isomers). Partial replacement of nitroglycerine by nitro compounds also reduced the erosive effect of the powder by lowering the heat of explosion and the flame temperature during explosive decomposition. 

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