SMOKELESS POWDERS represent the latest de velopment of explosives containing guncotton, and consist chiefly of either a guncotton which, by the aid of a solvent, has been converted into a colloid mass which. when dried. is a hard horn like material, which may then be formed into flakes or cords. or of a powder in which a mix ture of guncotton and nitroglycerin is trans formed into a similar ho•n-like substance either with or without the aid of a solvent. In the first class are the Be•nadou powder. consisting of a nitrocellulose brought into the colloid con dition by treating with ether-alcohol and acetone; poudre B of Vieille, used in France, and con sisting of guncotton mixed with barium nitrate, potassium nitrate, mid sodium carbonate, and treated with either ether-alcohol, ethyl acetate, or ;neetone; and powdt•, used in Ger many. and consisting of nitro-cotton •8.15 parts, guncotton 30.73 parts, charcoal 12.12 parts, vola tile matter 8.22 parts, and humus 0.77 part. The foregoing are typical of the military smok/: less powders. Sporting powders of similar char acter are now made, in which the process of manufacture and the proportions of the ingredi ents are changed to produce the desired results. Of the second class, the most important, art': Amberite, consisting of tri-nitrocellulose •4 parts, di-nitrocellulose 12 parts, and nit rOglyeerin 41 parts, formed into grains and treated with sol vent, consisting of sulphuric ether with a little alcohol; boni•tite, consisting of guncotton •0 parts, dissolved in nitroglycerin GO parts, to which a small quantity of aniline has been added as a neutralizing agent; cordite, consisting of nitroglycerin 58 parts. guncotton :17 parts, vase
line 5 parts, dissolved in 19.2 parts of acetone; Wife is similar to ballistite and is used in Italy for military purposes. Certain varieties of smokeless powders consist of nitrocellulose com bined with nitro-derivatives of aromatic hydro carbons, and included in this class are Lin Pont powder, consisting of nitrocellulose brought into the colloid condition by nitro-benzine or other soluble solvent; and indurite, produced by treat ing highly nitrated cellulose with mono-nitro benzine until it is brought into the colloid condi tion and then removing the collodizing agent. Both of the last-named powders are of American origin, and differ from each other in the method of manufacture and proportion of ingredients. See SMOKELESS POWDERS.