R. Meyer J. Köhler A. Homburg Explosives

33 BICT
employed, since differing volumes of water are required to fill the tube
up to the mark in gelled and porous powders.
Siebert suggested the use of H2O2 rather than water as the absorption
medium in 1942. He also suggested that the employed apparatus
should be redesigned, to avoid gas losses which occur when the cup
attachment is taken off. In the new design, the cup is replaced by a
large (over 50 ml) attachment resembling a fermentation tube, which
need not be taken off during the extraction of the sample. In this way
quantitative determination of the liberated No, even in large amounts,
becomes possible.
Siebert also suggested that the total acidity be determined by titration
against N/100 NaOH, in the presence of Tashiro’s indicator. In this
manner W Double Base Propellants can also be tested as well; the test
is carried out at 115 °C, the duration of heating being 8 or 16 hours
depending on the nitroglycerine content of the sample (or of similar
products, e.g. W Diethyleneglycol Dinitrate).
Bichel Bomb
Bichel-Bombe; bombe Bichel
Used to study the composition and W Volume of Explosion Gases. It
consists of a heavy steel case sealed by a screw cap. The construction
withstands the dynamic shock of a detonating explosive sample.
The gas developed can be vented by a valve in the screw cap for
measurement of volume and for gas analysis.
The W Lead Block Test has been used for the same purpose: the block
is sealed hermetically by a plug, and held in position by a steel
construction. After detonation of the explosive sample in the block, the
gas content has been vented by a special sealed drilling tool.
For the evaluation of the specific gas volume by computing W Thermodynamic
Calculation of Decomposition Reactions.
BICT
Bundesinstitut für Chemisch-Technische Untersuchungen
German Federal institute for testing of and research on propellants
and explosives for military purposes.
Since 01. 04. 97 the name of this institute has been changed “Wehrwissenschaftliches
Institut für Werk-, Explosiv- und Betriebsstoffe (WI-
WEB)” (= Defence Scientific for Construction Materials, Explosives
and Operating Materials).