Nitrocellulose manufacture

The drying of powder was formerly one of the most hazardous operations, but since the causes of danger have been eliminated by new methods it is now no more dangerous than any other of the processes for manufacturing nitrocellulose powder. The following rules must always be observed ... 

Continuous Methods for Manufacturing Nitrocellulose. Several methods are known, of which the Dietzsch process developed during WWII in Germany is briefly described here under Combustible and Consumable Cartridge Cases. This method combines vapor-phase and liquid-phase nitration processes. The Japanese used during WWII a continuous liquid-phase method of nitration of paper pulp, which was in the form of a sheet... 

Cordite is a double-base powder (NG NC typically 55 37% by weight) with mineral Jelly gelatinized by the action of acetone. The term comes from cords of wood, the source of cellulose used to manufacture nitrocellulose. Ballistite is the United States term for much the same material (NG NC around 40 60% by weight). 

Other uses are lubricants for - metal processing, plasticizers for stencil manufacture (nitrocellulose), solvents for printing inks. G. are intermediates to make the corresponding branched carboxylic acids. 

C4H8O, CH3COCH2CH3. Colourless liquid with a pleasant odour, b.p. 80°C. It occurs with propanone in the products of the destructive distillation of wood. Manufactured by the liquid or vapour phase dehydrogenation of 2-butanol over a catalyst. Used as a solvent, particularly for vinyl and acrylic resins, and for nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate, also for the dewaxing of lubricating oils. U.S. production 1978 300 000 tonnes. 

Colourless liquid with a strong peppermintlike odour b.p. 155" C. Manufactured by passing cyclohexanol vapour over a heated copper catalyst. Volatile in steam. Oxidized to adipic acid. Used in the manufacture of caprolactam. Nylon, adipic acid, nitrocellulose lacquers, celluloid, artificial leather and printing inks. 

CH3CH2OCH2CH2OH. A colourless liquid with a pleasant odour b.p. 135 C. Manufactured by heating ethylene oxide with ethanol and a catalyst, or by treating ethylene glycol with diethyl sulphate and sodium hydroxide. Used extensively as a solvent in nitrocellulose lacquers. 

Military. The single-component explosives most commonly used for military compositions are TNT, RDX or HMX, nitrocellulose, and nitroglycerin. The last two are used almost exclusively to make propellants. The production volume of TNT far exceeds that of any other explosive. It is used as manufactured, as a base of biaary slurries with other high melting explosives, or ia ternary systems generally containing a biaary mix and aluminum. 

M. R. Olsen and R. K. Major, Comparative Study of Dehydrating Processes in the Manufacture of Nitrocellulose, United Technology Chemical Systems Division, Suimyvale, Calif., 1975. 

Available Forms. Phthalocyanines are available as powders, in paste, or Hquid forms. They can be dispersed in various media suitable for aqueous, nonaqueous, or multipurpose systems, eg, polyethylene, polyamide, or nitrocellulose. Inert materials like clay, barium sulfate, calcium carbonates, or aluminum hydrate are the most common soHd extenders. Predispersed concentrates of the pigments, like flushes, are interesting for manufacturers of paints and inks (156), who do not own grinding or dispersing equipment. Pigment—water pastes, ie, presscakes, containing 50—75% weight of water, are also available. 

Commodity Phthalate Esters. The family of phthalate esters are by far the most abundandy produced woddwide. Both orthophthaUc and terephthahc acid and anhydrides are manufactured. The plasticizer esters are produced from these materials by reaction with an appropriate alcohol (eq. 1) terephthalate esterification for plasticizers is performed more abundandy in the United States. Phthalate esters are manufactured from methanol (C ) up to Qyj alcohols, although phthalate use as PVC plasticizers is generally in the range to The lower molecular weight phthalates find use in nitrocellulose the higher phthalates as synthetic lubricants for the automotive industries. 

Trinitrotoluene DNT Tetryl Primer materials < s Nitrocellulose j Nitroglycerin 1 j NC-based propellants j Ball Powder j 0> > o PL. -o ra 55 Acid manufacture J Filling of warheads Mfg of extruded rocket grains j Mfg of cast rocket grains... 

Shortly afterwards (1885) Vieille s powder was introduced in France under the name of B powder (Poudre B). Vieille utilized two types of nitrocellulose for its manufacture collodion cotton CP2, soluble in a mixture of ether and alcohol and forming the powder dough cotton CPi, insoluble in a mixture of ether and alcohol, incorporated into the powder mass in the form of unchanged fibres... 

In Russia, Mendeleyev (Ref 12) worked out a method for the manufacture of smokeless powder from pyrocellulose, i.e. relatively high-nitrated (12.5% N) nitrocellulose soluble in a mixture of ether and alcohol. In 1892 the manu-... 

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