The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

NITRATED SUGAR MIXTURES 239
fact that they are difficult to purify. The nitrosugars resemble
the sugars from which they are derived in the respect that often
they do not crystallize rapidly and easily. When warmed gently,
they frequently soften and become sticky and resinous. In this
condition they retain within their masses traces of decomposition
products by which further decomposition is provoked; they cannot
be washed free from acid, and in the solid or semi-solid state
are impossible to stabilize. The stabilization however may be
accomplished easily if the nitrosugar is in solution.
A mixture of nitrosucrose and nitroglycerin, prepared by nitrating
a solution of 20 parts of cane sugar in 80 parts of glycerin,
or of 25 parts in 75, has been used in this country under the
name of nitrohydrene. It is suitable for use in non-freezing dynamites,
and is cheaper than nitroglycerin to the extent that sugar
is cheaper than glycerin. The nitrated product is much more
viscous than nitroglycerin and forms emulsions readily. It requires
repeated washings with soda solution to insure a satisfactory
heat test, and then washings with concentrated salt solutions
to facilitate the separation of the phases. Nitrohydrene 80/20
(from 80 parts of glycerin and 20 parts of cane sugar) consists
of about 86% nitroglycerin and 14% nitrosucrose, and nitrohydrene
75/25 of about 82% nitroglycerin and 18% nitrosucrose.
Naoum 67 reports the following data. The stability of nitro-
LEAD BLOCK EXPANSION,
10-GRAM SAMPLE IN
GLASS TUBE
SPECIFIC Sand Water
GRAVITY AT Tamping, Tamping,
20° cc. cc.
Nitroglycerin 1596 550 595
Nitrohydrene 80/20 1.605 533 560
Nitrohydrene 75/25 1.612 514 535
hydrene is distinctly poorer than that of nitroglycerin and appears
to depend upon the proportion of nitrosucrose which it
contains, for nitrohydrene 75/25 gives a poorer heat test than
nitrohydrene 80/20 which contains less nitrosucrose. Naoum 68
points out that the wood meal, etc., which is contained in dynamite
made from nitrohydrene apparently acts as a stabilizer and
67 Op. dt., p. 253.
es Ibid., p. 255.