Propellants, Double-Base Cordites

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. 

Cordite, the 2nd successful double-base propellant, was patented for the British Government by F. Abel J. Dewar and adopted as a military propint. It was Cordite Mark 1 or CSP[ (Cordite Smokeless Powder ) (See Vol 3 of Encycl, p C532-L also Ref 31a, p 295 Ref 44, p 246)... 

DOUBLE-BASE AND TRIPLE-BASE PROPELLANTS. A description of double-base proplnts containing NC + NG was given in this Encycl under BALLI5TITE (Vol 2, pp B8-L to B10-L), under CANNON PROPELLANT Vol 2, pp C33-L to C37-L) and under CORDITE (VoL 3, PP C531-L to C541-R). Some Ball Powders, described in Vol 2, pp Bll-R to B16-L can be made double-base. The description did not include the German proplnts which were described previously in Refs 1, 2 3 and in Ref 4, pp Get 142 (Table 43) Ger 146 (Table 46), under PROPELLANT (Treibmittei)... 

Axite. A Brit double-base smokeless, sporting propellant manufd by. Kynoch Ltd. It is essentially Cordite. MD II (GC 65, NG 30 ... 

CSC. A British double-base propellant called Cordite Solventless Carbamite. See Cordite SC under CORDITE... 

Double-Base Propellants for Cannons. The discovery of colloidal proplnts based on two expl ingredients (NC NG), dates from 1887 88 when A. Nobel of Sweden developed Ballis-r fire (See Vol 2, pB8-L). This proplnt, as well as Cordite See this Vol), developed slightly later (1889) in England, is now known as double-base propellant... 

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