NITROGLYCERIN. This most powerful explosive was discovered by Ascanio Sobrero, in Turin, Italy, 1547, and is a colorless or light yellow oily liquid made by passing pure glycerin into a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and sul phuric acid which explodes violently at 150° C. Its tendency to decompose, resulting in violent explosion, has led to the abandonment of it as an explosive. but when combined with a suitable absorbent, this property is removed, and has given rise to a very important series of explosives known generically as dynamites, which may be again subdivided into two principal groups, namely, dynamites with an inert absorbent and dynamites with an active absorbent. The type of the first group is the original dynamite in vented by Nobel in 1S66, who used for his absorb ent diatomaceous silica. siliceous marl. tripoli, or rotten-stone, commonly called kieselguhr. It is made of various degrees of strength, rang ing from nitroglycerin 75 parts and absorbent 25 parts, down to nitroglycerin 30 parts and ab sorbent 70 parts. Other explosives of this class are carbodynamite, consisting of nitroglycerin 90 parts and charcoal made from cork 10 parts, and ce-rberitc. consisting of nitroglycerin modi fied with wood tar and nitro-benzine with charcoal as an absorbent. The second group com prises those dynamites that are composed of nitroglycerin and an active absorbent, usually a nitrate mixture. The following are among the more important commercial dynamites of this group. the ingredients of which vary in amount aceordin7 to the special purpose for which they are intended, so that the proportions mentioned are typical of only one variety: .1 ties powder, consisting of nitroglycerin 75 parts, wooddibre 21 parts, sodium nitrate 2 parts, magnesium carbonate 2 parts; earbonite, consisting of wood meal parts. sodium nitrate 34 parts, nitro
glycerin 25 parts, and sodium carbonate one half part: dualin, consisting of nitroglycerin 40 parts, sawdust 30 parts, potassium nitrate 20 parts: giant powder. consisting of nitroglycerin 40 parts, sodium nitrate 40 parts, powdered resin S parts. kieselguhr S parts, sulphur 6 parts; //creuhs powder, consisting of sodium nitrate 45 parts, nitroglycerin 40 parts, wood-pulp parts. sodium chloride 1 part. and magnesium carbonate 1 part: Judson powder, consisting of sodium nitrate 64 parts, sulphur 16 parts, cannel coal 15 parts, nitroglycerin 5 parts; lithofrae tear, consisting of nitroglycerin parts, kieselguhr 16 parts, barium nitrate 14:4 parts, sulphur 7 parts, manganese 2 parts. soda 2 parts, wood-meal 2 parts, bran 1 part: meganite, con sisting of nitroglycerin 60 parts, sodium nitrate 20 parts, nitrated vegetable ivory 10 parts, ni trated wood 10 parts: rheritr, consisting of nitroglycerin 64 parts, sodium nitrate IS parts, decayed wood 11 parts, wood-meal 7 parts; safety nitro-powder, consisting of nitroglycerin 68.81 parts. sodium nitrate 18.35 parts, wood pulp 12.84 parts: stonite, consisting of nitro glycerin GS parts, kieselguhr 20 parts, potassium nitrate S parts, and wood-meal 4 parts: rigo•itr, consisting of potassium chlo•ate 49 parts, nitro glycerin GS parts, kieselguhr 20 parts, potassium nitrate 7 parts, magnesium carbonate. moisture, etc.. 5 parts: and Vulcan powder, consisting of sodium nitrate 52.5 parts, nitroglycerin 30 parts, charcoal 10.5 parts, and sulphur 7 parts.