The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

NITROGLYCERIN 203
quickly into a drowning tank and the danger is averted. The
safety precautions which are everywhere exercised are such that
the explosion of a nitroglycerin plant is a rare occurrence. After
all the glycerin has been added to the nitrator, agitation and
cooling arc continued until the temperature drops to about 15°,
FIGURE 55. Nitroglycerin Buggy. (Courtesy Hercules Powder Company.)
For transporting nitroglycerin from the storage house to the house where
it is mixed with the other ingredients of dynamite. Note the absence of
valves and the use of wooden hose clamps as a safety precaution.
and the mixture is then run off to the separator where the nitroglycerin
rises to the top. The spent acid contains 9 to 10% of
nitric acid, 72 to 74% of sulfuric acid, and 16 to 18% of water.
The nitroglycerin from the separator contains about 10% of
its weight of dissolved acid (about 8% nitric and about 2%
sulfuric). Most of this is removed by a drowning wash or prewash
carried out, in Europe with water at about 15°, in this