The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

AMMONIUM PICRATE 167
80° and 90° and are prepared by putting the materials together
under water in wooden tanks and blowing in live steam. Th#
water is sometimes acidulated with sulfuric acid to insure the
removal of all metallic picrates. An explosive made by mixing
88 parts of picric acid with 12 parts of melted paraffin or stearic
acid, and then rolling and graining, gives a compact charge when
loaded by compression. It is nearly as powerful and brisant
as picric acid, and responds satisfactorily to the impulse
of the detonator, but is distinctly less sensitive to mechanical
shock.
Ammonium Picrate
Ammonium picrate is less sensitive to shock than picric acid. It
is not easily detonated by fulminate, but is commonly used with a
FIGURE 49. Commercial Sample of Ammonium Picrate (25X).
booster of powdered and compressed picric acid or tetryl. The
pure substance occurs in two forms, a sta? form which is of a