Nitro-cellulose with nitric acid

Other explosives, discovered in the nineteenth century, were nitroglycerine, a liquid that is absorbed in a solid to make dynamite, and nitrocellulose, a solid that produces less smoke (smokeless powder). They are made by heating glycerine and cellulose with nitric acid, a process that adds nitro (-NO2) groups. Another important explosive is trinitrotoluene, made by heating (very carefully) toluene in nitric acid,... 

Nitro-Cellulose.—Concentrated nitric acid together with sulphuric acid however yields nitric acid esters of cellulose known as nitro celluloses which have important industrial uses as will be discussed presently. By complete oxidation of cellulose with nitric acid oxalic acid is obtained. Dilute solutions of alkalies below about 10 per cent, have no action on cellulose. When however cellulose is treated with a solution of sodium hydroxide above 10 per cent., best from 18 per cent, to 28 per cent, sodium cellulose is formed and this with water yields a hydrated cellulose. By this treatment the fibrous character of cotton remains but the fibres possess entirely new properties. This is the basis of what is known as Mercerized cotton (p. 372). On prolonged treatment with strong alkalies or by fusion cellulose is oxidized to oxalic acid... 

Nitrocellulose is a generic name for a product produced by the reaction of cellulosic materials with nitric acid and thereby containing the nitro group. 

In 1833 Braconnot obtained nitric esters of cellulose and starch by acting with nitric acid on plant fibres and starch, at low temperature, hi 1834 Mitscherlich nitrated benzene to nitrobenzene. But it is only since 1842, when Zinin reduced nitrobenzene to aniline, that rapid development of the chemistry of nitro compounds and their application to organic industry has occurred. 

CAUTION It is generally known that trinitrotoluene is a high explosive and that the treatment of glycerol, cellulose, and other carbohydrates with nitric acid/sulfuric acid leads to other explosives. The nitration of many other compounds may form products (or intermediates) which may be explosives, and precautions against detonations must be taken. Alkali salts of nitromethane or nitro-methane derivatives are sensitive to impact when dry [1]. In fact, the addition of bases or acids to nitromethane is said to render the compound susceptible to detonation according to a recent publication [2]. An explosion during the nitrolysis of an acetyl compound may... 

Nitro (N-) cellulose was prepared by nitrizing the C-cellu-lose with the mixtures of sulfuric and nitric acid solution with various concentration ratios. 

Claesson (D.R. Patent, 200,262, 1906) proposes to displace the nitrating acids retained in nitrocellulose by sulphuric acid and the latter by water. Comte do Briailles (D. R. Patent, 203,377, 1906) sends an electric current through the acid mixture during nitration in order to keep the nitrating acid at suitable concentration and temperatnre. Sir F. L. Nathan, J. M. Thomson, and W. T. Thomson (British Patent, 7,269, 1903) remove the water from wet nitro-cellulose by displacement with alcohol. The. Salpotersaure-Ind.-Ges. (D.R. Patent, 180,587, 1906) revivify the waste acid after nitration by electrolysis, using the waste acid as anode liquid, and dilute nitric acid in the kathode compartment. 

Another class, the nitro-celluloses, are formed from cellulose, C 6 H 10 O 5, which forms the groundwork of all vegetable tissues. Cellulose has some of the properties of the alcohols, and forms ethereal salts when treated with nitric and sulphuric acids. The hexa-nitrate, or gun-cotton, has the formula, C 12 H 14 0 4 (0N0 2 ) 6 and collodion-cotton, pyroxylin, c., form the lower nitrates, i.e., the tetra- and penta-nitrates. These last are soluble in various solvents, such as ether-alcohol and nitro-glycerine, in which the hexa-nitrate is insoluble. They all dissolve, however, in acetone and acetic ether. 

Polyethenol nitrate (nitro polyethenol) is a synthetic polymer to replace cellulose nitrate. It was first studied in 1929. Polyethenol was dissolved into concentrated sulfuric acid at 0 °C. The solution was then slowly added to a mixed acid of nitric acid and sulfuric acid and gradually heated to 40-50 °C. Polyethenol nitrate was precipitated out. The plastic precipitate was then filtered and washed to become firagile products with a nitrogen content of 10 %. In the nitration of polyethenol in 10-20 °C, polyethenol is easy to be oxidized. Thus, the oxidation should be prevented by some methods. 

Nitrocellulose Informally, guncotton made by treating cotton with nitric and sulfuric acids attaches nitro groups to cellulose. 

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