The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

STABILIZERS 307
Stabilizers
The spontaneous decomposition of nitrocellulose in the air produces
nitrous and nitric acids which promote a further decomposition.
If these products however are removed continuously, the
uncatalyzed decomposition is extremely slow, and smokeless pow-
FIGUBE 78 Bernhart Troxler (Greystone Studios, Inc ) Introduced many
innovations into the manufacture of smokeless powder and improved the
design of equipment in such manner as to increase production while reducing
the hazard—the steam-air-dry process for double-base powder,
methods of coating, apparatus for solvent recovery, water drying, and air
drying of single-base powder without transferring the powder during the
three operations His whole professional life has been devoted to smokeless
powder, with the Laflin and Rand Powder Company until 1913, and
afterwards with the Hercules Powder Company from the time when that
company was organized and built its first smokeless powder line.
der may be stabilized by the addition to it of a substance which
reacts with these acids and removes them, provided neither the
substance itself nor the products of its reaction with the acids
attacks the nitrocellulose.
Vieille suggested the use of amyl alcohol as a stabilizer, and
powder containing this material was used m France until 1911