The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

CHLORATE AND PERCHLORATE EXPLOSIVES 359
Potassium chlorate.
Sodium chlorate. . .
Nitronaphthalene...
Dinitrotoluene. . : . ,
Castor oil
ONo.l
Formula
41
80
12
8
ONo. 1
Formula
GO bis
80
13 25
ONo. 2
Formula
60 6isM
Cheddite
No. 4
79
1
15
5
O No. 5
Cheddite
No. 1
The Cheddites are manufactured by melting the nitro compounds
in the castor oil at 80°, adding little by little the pul-
Tf-ized chlorate dried and still warm, and mixing thoroughly.
Tfte mixture is emptied out onto a table, and rolled to a thin
layer which hardens on cooling and breaks up under the roller
and is then sifted and screened.
Sodium chlorate contains more oxygen than potassium chlorate,
but has the disadvantage of being hygroscopic. Neither salt
ought to be used in mixtures which contain ammonium nitrate
or ammonium perchlorate, for double decomposition might occur
with the formation of dangerous ammonium chlorate. Potassium
chlorate is one of the chlorates least soluble in water, potassium
perchlorate one of the least soluble of the perchlorates. The latter
salt is practically insoluble in alcohol. The perchlorates are intrinsically
more stable and less reactive than the chlorates, and
are much safer in contact with combustible substances. Unlike
the chlorates they are not decomposed by hydrochloric acid, and
they do not yield an explosive gas when warmed with concentrated
sulfuric acid. The perchlorates require a higher temperature
for their decomposition than do the corresponding chlorates.
SOLUBILITY. 7 ARTS PER 100 PARTS OF WATER
KC10, NaC10» KC10. NH.CJO.
At 0° 3.3 82. 0.7 12.4
At 100° 56. 204. 18.7 88.2
Mixtures of aromatic nitro compounds with chlorate are dangerously
sensitive unless they are phlegmatized with castor oil
or a similar material, but there are other substances, such as
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