R. Meyer J. Köhler A. Homburg Explosives

301 Surface Treatment
Styphnic acid is prepared by dissolving resorcinol in concentrated
sulfuric acid and nitrating the resulting solution with concentrated nitric
acid. It is a relatively weak explosive. Its lead salt (W Lead Styphnate)
is used as an initiating explosive.
Substainer Charge
Component (optional) of ignition system (train) that maintaines operating
pressure until thermal equilibrium is obtained.
Sulfur
Schwefel; soufre
S
atomic weight: 32.07
melting point: 113 °C = 235 °F
boiling point: 445 °C = 833 °F
density: 2.07 g/cm 3
Sulfur is used with charcoal as a fuel component in W Black Powder.
Sublimated sulfur is not completely soluble in carbon sulfide and
contains traces of sulfuric acid; the use of sublimated sulfur for black
powder production is therefore not permitted.
Supercord 40 and Supercord 100
Trade names of W Detonating Cords containing 40 and 100 g PETN/m
distributed in Germany and exported by Orica Germany GmbH. It is
covered with red-colored plastic. It is used for the initiations of ANFO
blasting agents and for W Contour Blasting.
Surface Treatment
Oberflächenbehandlung; traitement de surface
When gunpowder burns in the chamber of a weapon, the internalballistic
energy of the powder charge is best exploited if the gas
pressure is kept constant almost up to the emergence of the projectile
from the barrel, despite the fact that the gas volume keeps growing
larger during that reriod, owing to the movement of the projectile. It
follows that gas evolution from the powder charge should be slow at
first, while towards the end of the combustion process, it must be
quicker (“progressive burning”). This is achieved mainly by imparting a