Important: Safety Warning
This page contains instructions involving gunpowder or other explosive or pyrotechnic compositions. Preparing explosives as described has caused severe injuries and deaths, and is illegal in most places.
In addition, this page describes trade processes that use dangerously toxic materials such as cyanide solutions, mercury amalgams, or strong acids. These processes require training, equipment, and precautions far beyond what the text describes.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
Nitrocellulose
the product of the reaction between cellulose and nitric acid. The name is generally restricted far the greater part of nitrogen is to the product formed by the nitration of cotton, which consists of a mixture ing organic matter (barnyard manure, of nitrocelluloses and is known as guncotton. When strong acids are used and the process of manufacture properly conducted, guncotton consists chiefly of tri-nitrocellulose, CoH7O2 (NO₂)s, but ditetra and penta-nitrocellulose are usually present. Nitrocellulose was first made in 1832 by Braconnot, by treating starch with nitric acid. Its explosive properties were discovered by Schönbein in 1845. It is insoluble in water, soluble in a mixture of alcohol and ether, and in ethyl acetate, nitrobenzene, benzol, acetone, amyl acetate and ketone oils.
When cotton is treated with nitric and sulphuric acid in the presence of water, collodion Con cotton, C18H 2108 (OH) (NO₂) is produced. This material is used in the manufacture of collodion varnish, pyroxylin, artificial leather, celluloid, and many other products. The cotton used in making nitrocellulose must be free from oil and rosin, and after the acid treatment it must be washed until all traces of acid are removed. s in