Nitroglycerine material factor

Above we presented the question of non-steady combustion applied to secondary explosive materials. With respect to the combustion of smokeless powder, a possible complicating factor is its multicomponent composition. Of interest in this connection is the fact cited by Andreev [15] of steady combustion of nitroglycerin gelated by 1% nitrocellulose. In the case of smoky powders and pipe mixtures the role of condensed combustion products which adhere to the burning surface and accumulate heat may be important. 

Safety. Because of the relatively small size of continuous-process equipment, there is less material in process at any time than at certain times in a comparable batch process. For example, at the completion of a batch-process nitration and during its normal separation of the product from spent nitrating acid, the entire batch of an often hazardous compound will be present in the equipment. In the continuous process, only as much material need be present in hazardous conditions as needed to gain sufficient reaction or process time. In the case of high explosives made by nitration, such as nitroglycerine, this inherent safety factor of a continuous process is very attractive. 

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