Nitroglycerine transport

Fig. 24. Nitroglycerine transport device S. Nauckhoff system, Gyttorp 1919 (Nauckhoff and...

Separation of nitroglycerine from acid Purification of nitroglycerine Filtering nitroglycerine Transport of nitroglycerine Recovery of stabilizing water The spent acid... 

Pure nitroglycerin is a contact explosive. That means that any little bump or jolt can cause it to explode. This makes pure nitroglycerin extremely dangerous to handle or transport. In fact, after... 

The federal requirements [139] state no person shah knowingly transport, carry or convey hquid nitroglycerin, fulminate in bulk in dry condition, or other similarly dangerous explosives, radioactive materials, or etiologic agents on or in any car or vehicle of any description operated in the transportation of passengers or... 

More in line with the predictive use of hazards analysis, however, is the experimental and theoretical assessment that the viscosity of the liquid significantly affects this mode of initiation. Such information allows redesign of the process to eliminate handling of low viscosity liquid explosives, and quantitative measurement of the sensitivity of the system to mild shocks as a function of viscosity may allow the optimum level to be selected. This is not necessarily a new concept, only quantified in a different manner. Thirty years ago transporters of neat nitroglycerine in the oil fields were paid 25 a day. The stipend for transporting jellied nitroglycerine was seven dollars, a practical comment on the understood difference in hazard. 

These nitro compounds act as good plasticizers for nitrocellulose (NC). In addition, these compounds when mixed with nitroglycerine (NC) reduce its sensitivity and thus act as efficient desensitizers for its safe handling and transportation. The enhancement in performance characteristics of PBXs or propellant formulations is mainly due to the fact that the conventional non-energetic plasticizers such as... 

Accdg to Rinkenbach (Ref 62, p6 45), straight liquid Nitroglycerin (LNG) has been used for many years for "bringing in oil wells after drilling operation. This was done despite many disastrous episodes in transportation and hand-... 

After another major explosion in 1866 which completely demolished the nitroglycerine factory, Alfred turned his attentions into the safety problems of transporting nitroglycerine. To reduce the sensitivity of nitroglycerine Alfred mixed it with an absorbent clay, Kieselguhr . This mixture became known as ghur dynamite and was patented in 1867. 

Transportation of nitroglycerine and similar nitric acid esters is very hazardous and only permitted in the form of solutions in non-explosive solvents or as mixtures with fine-powdered inert materials containing not more that 5% nitroglycerine. 

Nitrocellulose can be quite hazardous if left to dry out completely therefore, it is usually stored and transported in 30% water or ethanol. Nitrocellulose is often dissolved in solvents to form a gel. For example, commercial explosives used for blasting purposes contain nitrocellulose dissolved in nitroglycerine, and some gun propellant compositions contain nitrocellulose dissolved in a mixture of acetone and water. 

The liquid consistency of nitroglycerine and its sensitiveness to shock are great disadvantages in handling and transporting it. 

Sensitiveness to shock. It was Nobel [77] who first established in 1869 that crystalline nitroglycerine is significantly less sensitive to shock than the liquid. Advantage was taken of this property (Mo wbrey [78]), in transport. The sensitiveness of nitro-... 

Formerly after primary washing nitroglycerine was transported from the nitration unit to the stabilization room by means of a gutter-shaped leaden pipeline, furnished with a jacketed bottom heated in the winter with hot water. The tempera-... 

The transport of stabilized nitroglycerine to the rooms where it is to undergo final purification, e.g. filtration through a flannel, is now performed by means of a pipeline. In order to increase the safety of this operation, an emulsion of nitroglycerine in water or in an aqueous solution of sodium carbonate is produced by means of an injector and this emulsion is run through the pipeline. 

Finally the purified, stabilized and filtered nitroglycerine is transported from the store to the departments where it is required for further manufacturing processes (to make dynamite or smokeless powder). When required for smokeless powder manufacture, nitroglycerine can be transported as an aqueous emulsion by means... 

Transport of liquid nitroglycerine from the nitroglycerine factory to another plant is not allowed in Europe. It can be transported only in mixed forms as dynamites or semi-finished mixtures ready to be used for the manufacture of mining explosives or of double base powders. Only in U.S.A. is the transport of nitroglycerine in special trucks allowed. 

Originally 2% of water were added to the spent acid and this prevented the separation of nitroglycerine at temperatures from 10 to 15°C. Nevertheless in 1906 a tank filled with this dilute spent acid exploded while being transported. Further experiments showed that nitroglycerine can separate from acid diluted in that way if its temperature falls below 10°C. Addition of 5% water was therefore introduced, to prevent separation of nitroglycerine even at a temperature of 0°C. At the present time this procedure is widely used with new methods of nitration including continuous processes. 

The flow-sheet for the remote control of the nitroglycerine storage, transport and weighing installation is given in Fig. 49. 

Figure 55. Nitroglycerin Buggy. (Courtesy Hercules Powder Company.) For transporting nitroglycerin from the storage house to the house where it is mixed with the other ingredients of dynamite. Note the absence of valves and the use of wooden hose clamps as a safety precaution.

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