Nitrocellulose single-base

For facilities susceptible to nitrocellulose, single base and multibase dusts, the same details could be used with the addition of alternate basic construction types. Six types of construction were chosen which included wood frame, concrete masonry units, reinforced concrete, modified preengineered buildings, fiberglass reinforced plastic and sandwich panels. These were chosen for development of architectural details similar to those mentioned above for nitroglycerin facilities except troweled-on conductive floor lining was to be used instead of lead. 

Architectural Standard Details for Nitroglycerin, Nitrocellulose, Single Base Multibase Facilities at Army Ammunition Plants,... 

J. Taylor [27] drew up the following table of the heat of explosive decomposition, the gas volume and rate of burning of British nitroglycerine (double base) and American nitrocellulose (single base) powders (Table 166). 

High explosives may be class d according to their physical properties as powdery, meltable, semi-meltable and plastic. Propellants may be grouped on the basis of chemical composition into gun powder and similar mixtures, nitrocellulose (single base) and nitroglycerine (double base) powders, With respect to their uses and some properties they are divided into black powder, smokeless and flashless powders, and rocket propellants. 

Single-base propellants are mixed in a similar fashion by adding the ingredients to the nitrocellulose in the mixer together with the required amounts of ether and alcohol. The mixing time is about one-half hour, and the temperature is kept below 25°C. The pardy colloidal mixture looks like moist cmde sugar. A maceration step may be included to increase homogeneity. 

HI 17—34. Black Powder is no longer used as a proplnt, but it is still used in igniters for SP The next stage in the development of SP, namely the early development of single base smokeless powder, followed the discovery of Nitrocellulose (NC). We quote Urbanski (Ref 46a, p 528) ... 

Single base propellants are basically nitrocellulose which has been made colloidal by the action of solvent. 

Single base propellant. Propellant based on nitrocellulose without the inclusion of nitroglycerine. 

Of these, the most successful appeared in 1887 when Alfred Nobel patented a nitrocellulose propellant plasticised with nitroglycerine. Known as a double-base propellant, it is virtually smokeless, with a very high specific impulse as compared to gunpowder. Single-base propellants were developed in 1865 and 1890 by Schultz and Vieille respectively and these took the form of gelatinised nitrocellulose for use in firearms and mortars. 

Single base" smokeless powder, developed mainly in the United States, uses only nitrocellulose. "Double base" smokeless powder, developed in Europe, is a blend of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. "Cordite," a British development, consists of 65% NC, 30% NG, and 5% mineral jelly. The mineral jelly (a hydrocarbon material) functions as a coolant and produces substantial amounts of CO 2, CO, and H 2O gas to improve the propellant characteristics. "Triple base" smokeless powder, containing nitroguanidine as a third component with nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose is also manufactured. 

Nitrocelluloses (Shokamen), such as described in Vol 2 of Encycl under CELLULOSE, were used in NC Propellants (Shokayaku) or Single-Base Proplnts. See under PROPELLANTS... 

A) Nitrocellulose or Single-Base Propellants (Shokayaku) contd NC (Nitrocellulose) (ca 12.5% N) 98 DPhA (Diphenylamine) 2%. 

Single base A smokeless powder that contains nitrocellulose, but does not contain nitroglycerin or nitroguanidine. 

Nitrocellulose-Base Solid Propellants, Including Single-Base, Double-Base and Triple-Base Propellants (1371—1405) Composite Propellants (1405—07)... 

Single-base casting powder the casting powder consists of nitrocellulose, stabilizer, solid additives for ballistic modification, and a small amount of plasticizer. The normal ratio of casting powder to casting solvent, 2 1 by volume, yields a final composition of approximately 60% nitrocellulose. 

A propellant which consists of nitrocellulose (NC) as the only explosive ingredient is called a single-base (SB) propellant. The formulation consists of 90% or more of NC with a nitrogen content of 12.50-13.25%. NC is gelled with the help of a... 

In Russia, Mendeleyev [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 manufacture of this powder was started for naval guns. Nitrocellulose powder of this type was soon adopted for military purposes in the U.S.A., where nitrocellulose powder became known as single base powder . 

In Anglo-Saxon countries nitrocellulose powders are known as single base powders, i.e. made of only one explosive component. 

In order to raise the Q value of single-base propellants and to increase the pressure of the gas inside the gun barrel, nitrocellulose is mixed with nitroglycerine to form double-base propellants. Double-base propellants have a Q value of about 4500 J g 1 and are used in pistols and mortars. The disadvantage of double-base gun propellants is the excess-... 

MEK/sec.-butyl alcohol (25/75) primarily used for the analysis of moisture, ethyl alcohol, and diethyl ether in single-base propellants containing nitrocellulose of approximately 13.15% nitrogen. 

Heat test at 134.5°C. This heat test is in use in the U.S.A. A sample of 2.5 g of nitrocellulose or nitrocellulose powder ( single base powder ) is kept in a long test tube in a constant temperature bath regulated to 134.5+0.5°C. A band of methyl violet (rosaniline acetate with crystal violet) test paper is kept over the surface of the sample. The test paper should not change to salmon colour before 30 min and no visible N02 vapours should be detected before 45 min. 

Propellants that contain nitrocellulose as the only oxidizer are referred to as single base and propellants that contain both nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine (or some other explosive plasticizer) as double base. Triple-based propellants are produced when substantial quantities of an organic, energy-producing, crystalline compound such as nitroguanidine are incorporated in double-based propellants. Triple-based propellants are unlikely to be encountered in small arms ammunition. 

The following description is taken from Marshall (Ref 1) As the cords, strips, tubes, etc of a single-base proplnt emerge from the die-press, they are usually wound on frames provided with springs which allow the cords, etc to contract as the solvent evaporates. In case of cords, etc of large diam, they are nailed to the frames. The frames are then placed in a "stove (similar to that briefly described under Dehydration and Drying of Nitrocelluloses) where the air, heated not above 40°, is circulated from top to bottom until the bulk of the solvent is removed. The spent air is passed thru an apparatus for solvent recovery and the incompletely dried proplnt cords, etc are removed from the stove. 

Pirosilinovyye porokha = single base nitrocellulose propellant (russian) Piroksilins N° 1 = nitrocellulose 12-13% N N° 2 = > 13% N (russian) 222... 

Pyropowder = single base nitrocellulose propellant (UK) pyrotechnical compositions 28 29 ... 

A-E = single base powder A nitrocellulose powder D DNT added F-M = double base powders F = nitrocellulose nitroglycerine G = nitrocellulose-diglycol dinitrate K = ball powder N-P = triple base powders V-W = porous powders (german) TMEMT = trimethylenetrinitrosamine 71... 

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