The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

PERMISSIBLE EXPLOSIVES 351
The French also have permissible explosives containing both
ammonium nitrate and nitroglycerin (gelatinized), with and without
saltpeter. These are called Grisou-dynamites or Grisoutines.
Nitroglycerin
Collodion cotton
Ammonium nitrate.
Potassium nitrate...
Grisoudynamiteroche
salpltr^e
Grisoudynamitecouche
12.0
0.5
82.5
5.0
The effect of ammonium nitrate in lowering the temperature
of explosion of nitroglycerin mixtures is nicely illustrated by the
data of Naoum 21 who reports that guhr dynamite (75% actual
nitroglycerin) gives a temperature of 2940°, a mixture of equal
amounts of guhr dynamite and ammonium nitrate 2090°, and &•
mixture of 1 part of guhr dynamite and 4 of ammonium nitrate
1468°.
In ammonium nitrate explosives in which the ingredients are
not intimately incorporated as they are in the Favier explosives,
but in which the granular particles retain their individual form,
the velocity of detonation may be regulated by the size of the
•nitrate grains. A relatively slow explosive for producing lump
coal is made with coarse-grained ammonium nitrate, and a faster
explosive for the procurement of coking coal is made with finegrained
material.
The first explosives to be listed as permissible by the U. S.
Bureau of Mines were certain Monobels and Carbonites, and
Monobels are still among the most important of American permissibles.
Monobels contain about 10% nitroglycerin, about 10%
carbonaceous material, wood pulp, flour, sawdust, etc., by the
physical properties of which the characteristics of the explosive
are somewhat modified, and about 80% ammonium nitrate of
which, however, a portion, say 10%, may be substituted by a
volatile salt such as sodium chloride.
27 Op. dt., p. 403.