Guncotton compressed

Foerster (Ref 1), as early as 1883, in describing charges prepared from compressed guncotton, pointed out the importance of using hollowed cartridges... 

E.A. Brown discovered that dry compressed Guncotton could be made to detonate very violently by initiation with a fulminate detonator such as Nobel already used for exploding NG. Shortly afterwards he made the further important discovery that wet Guncotton could be exploded by the initiation of a small quantity of dry Guncotton (the principle of the booster). 

Note The compressed Guncotton contg about 18% moisture proved to be so successful that it was adopted by several countries (especially by Russia) for loading not only of sea mines but also of Whitehead torpedoes and cannon shells. Russian Artillery used it during the Russo-Japanese War (1904—1905), but it proved to be inferior to Japanese shells loaded with Shimose (cast Picric Acid). Senior author of this Encycl, who served in 1917 in the Russian Navy, remembers that torpedoes on his destroyer of 1905 vintage were loaded with compressed, moist Guncotton... 

A very strongly compressed Guncotton, prepd in 1890 s by S.P, Vukolov, resembled in its appearance elephant s tusk, and for this reason was called Slonit, which means Ele-phantide. It was used as a propellant (Ref 2,... 

Compressed moist Guncotton was not powerful and one of the reasons was its low density of loading (1.0 to 1.1) because there were many air spaces in the block. This was improved after A. Hollings patented a method of prepn giving compressed blocks with den-siry of 1.25. This method and its modification by G. Bell (1903) are described by Worden... 

To the above discussion may be added that the Russians used compressed Guncotton, contg ca 17% of moisture since about the 1860 s for loading ammunition but during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Russian shells loaded with Guncotton proved to be much inferior to Japanese shells loaded with Shimose (cast Picric Acid). Some Whitehead torpedoes of the Russian Navy were loaded with Guncotton as late as WWI. One of the older P.ussian expls, known as Slonit (Elephantit) consisted of Guncotton hydraulically compressed to the hardness of elephant s bone... 

Brown discovered that dry, compressed guncotton could be detonated. 

For a time compressed guncotton was used in Russia by the artillery (1876) [12] as a shell filling. From 1890 moist guncotton was adopted for this, purpose [12]. Guncotton continued to be used for a shell filling in some countries until it was replaced by the introduction of picric acid. 

Guncotton such as the above, in a dry state, compressed to a density of 1.30 g/cm3 demonstrated a detonation rate of 6300 m/sec, and an expansion in the lead block of 375 cm3, while guncotton with 16% of water content detonated with a rate of 6800 m/sec, and produced an expansion in the lead block of 280 cm3. 

The French and J apanese used compressed PA. The Russians, as late as WWI, used pressed dry Guncotton as boosters in warheads of some torpedoes with wet guncotton as bursting chge and pressed TNT for... 

Compressed Nitrocellulose, Guncotton, molded into blocks of regular shape by means of high pressure, was formerly used for military pur-... 

Following are some copper compression values in mm as given by Kast (Ref 4, p 184) Blasting gelatin 4.8, Dinitrobenzene 2.9 Guncotton (dry) 3.0, Hexanitrodiphenylamine 4.1, Nitroglycerine 4.6, Picric acid 4.1, Tetryl 4.2, Trinitroanisole 3-5, Trinitroanisole 3-6, Trinitrobenzene 4.1, Trinitrocresol 3-5, and Trinitrotoluene 3.6... 

C 108), rs in the form of a white powdery material contg ca 30% moisture. It was discovered in 1869 by Brit chemist E. Brown that NC contg ca 13%N (such as Guncotton), could be detonated by a strong MF cap, if the NC was in compressed form. Better results were obtd with Guncotton contg less water (18-20%). 

This gave the idea to use compressed wet Guncotton for loading shells, warheads of torpedoes and demolition charges. This practice continued as late as WWI, especially in Russia. It was discontinued in favor of PA and TNT which are more brrsant and powerful than NC. Brown also was the first... 

Demolition Explosives (Demolition Blocks, Demolition Charges and,Demolition Devices) (See also Demolition Hoses, Demolition Kits and Demolition Snakes). Demolition expls are those used for demolition purposes. They are mostly HE s (such as TNT, PA, Tetryl, FETN, Dynamite, etc), made in the shape of blocks, cartridges, etc. Some LE s, such as compressed wet Guncotton, can also be used. Under the term Demolition Devices, Ohart (Ref 8) described Bangalore Torpedoes (See Vol 2, P 16"R of this Encycl) and various demolition blocks, including shaped charges. In Ref 12a, the same devices are listed as Demolition Materials (qv)... 

A) Podryvnaya Shashka (Blasting Sword) or Piroksilinovaya Shaska (Guncotton Sword). A cartridge consisting of compressed 13% N Nitrocellulose, called in Rus Piroksilin, contg ca 18% moisture. It was made since 1890 in various sizes. Its use was discontinued after WWI in favor of Trotil (TNT) demolition charges... 

Triplastita (Triplastite). A gelatinized mixt of Dinitrotoluene and Guncotton (Algodon pol-vora). It is less sensitive than TNT and has the advantage of a higher d when compressed. Used as a bursting charge in some ammo (Ref 9, p 31)... 

Methods of manuf of wet compressed Guncotton in Austria and Germany are described in Ref 1, pp 2174—76... 

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