Explosive Properties of Nitrostarch

EXPLOSIVE PROPERTIES OF NITROSTARCH (AFTER HACKEL T. URBANSKI)... 

The explosive properties of nitrostarch mixtures (containing 12.7% of nitrogen) with ammonium or sodium nitrates have been studied by T. Urbanski et al. [48]. Values for rate of detonation of mixtures with a density of 1.0 are given in Fig. 71. They conform to Laffitte s rule that the variation in rate of detonation with the composition of mixtures with ammonium nitrate is almost rectilinear. 

Data characterizing the explosive properties of nitrostarch have been published by Hackel and T. Urbanski [42] for nitrogen contents from 7.7% to 13.4% N. 

Explosive properties of nitrostarch (after Hackel and T. Urbapiski [42])... 

The explosive properties of mixtures with ammonium nitrate depend on the quantitative relationship between the oxidizing agent and the explosive or combustible substance. According to Parisot and Laffitte s [9, 47] investigations the explosive properties of mixtures of aromatic nitro compounds with ammonium nitrate vary with the change in composition of the system in an almost rectilinear manner. The graph in Fig. 69 shows how the rate of detonation depends on the composition of mixtures of tetryl or picric acid with ammonium nitrate. T. Urbanski et al. [48] also obtained a rectilinear relationship for nitrostarch mixtures with ammonium or sodium nitrate (Fig. 71, p. 265). 

Slurry explosives consist of oxidizers (NH4N03 and NaN03), fuels (coals, oils, aluminum, other carbonaceous materials), sensitizers (trinitrotoluene, nitrostarch, and smokeless powder), and water mixed with a gelling agent to form a thick, viscous explosive with excellent water-resistant properties. Slurry explosives may be manufactured as cartridged units, or mixed on site. 

A "Special Demolition Explosive developed by Trojan Powder Co of Allentown, Pennsylvania and standardized shortly before WWII was based on NS (Nitrostarch) instead of NG- Its compn and properties are given in Ref 52, p207 Ref 66, p7—85 and in Vol 3 of Encycl under Ref 12, listed on p D60-R. Trojan demolition explosives were tested at Picatinny Arsenal by J.D. Hopper and covered by PATR s 782(1936), 848(1937), 864 (1937) and 957(1939)... 

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