Part 27

=PERMONITE.=--A potassium perchlorate explosive made by the Carbonite Syndicate at Schlebusch in Germany. A number of mixtures have been placed on the market, but they do not differ from one another very much. One which was on the old British Permitted List was--

Potassium perchlorate 32·2 Ammonium nitrate 41 Nitroglycerine 3·5 Collodion cotton 0·3 Trinitro-toluene 12 Starch 8 Wood meal 3

See also Gesteins Leonit.

=PERRUMPIT.=--A German coal-mine explosive containing ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, vegetable meal, fatty oils, graphite and aluminium, cooling agents such as ammonium oxalate or sodium chloride, and not more than 15 per cent. of trinitro-toluene.

=PERSALIT= is a German perchlorate explosive made by the Westfälisch-Anhaltische Sprengstoff A.-G. It contains not more than 77 per cent. of an alkali or alkali earth perchlorate, organic matter such as hydrocarbons, resins, meal or nitrated hydrocarbons (with the proviso that if the percentage of perchlorate exceed 70, there must not be more than 10 per cent. of trinitro-toluene). There must also be not less than 4 per cent. of ammonium nitrate, and there may be an addition of sodium nitrate or other salt that does not increase the sensitiveness.

=WETTER-PERSALIT= is a similar explosive, but has been modified to make it more suitable for use in coal mines. It contains not more than 35 per cent. of potassium perchlorate, not more than 25 per cent. of ammonium nitrate, aromatic nitro-compounds of which not more than 20 per cent. must be trinitro-toluene, vegetable meal, not more than 6 per cent. of nitroglycerine, sodium nitrate, and neutral salts. It is similar to Neu-Leonit.

=PETROKLASTIT= or =HALOKLASTIT= is a modified gunpowder mixture used in Germany in potash mines and stone quarries. It contains sodium nitrate, sulphur, coal-tar pitch, potassium nitrate, not more than 1 per cent. of potassium bichromate, and may have up to 10 per cent. of charcoal, as, for instance--

Sodium nitrate 69 Potassium nitrate 5 Sulphur 10 Coal-tar pitch 15 Potassium bichromate 1

It is more powerful than ordinary blasting powder, and somewhat less sensitive to blows. This explosive is also made in Switzerland.

=PETROLIT= is a German chlorate explosive introduced during the War. It contains not more than 88 per cent. of potassium chlorate, nitro-compounds, kerosene, and neutral salts. (This is rather a dangerous mixture.--A.M.)

=PFALZIT.=--A German blasting explosive containing ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, not more than 13 per cent. of trinitro-toluene, not more than 1 per cent. of collodion cotton, meal, sodium chloride, etc.

=PHŒNIX POWDER.=--A German coal-mine explosive made by Dr. R. Nahnsen and Co., of Hamburg. It passed the Woolwich Test and was on the old Permitted List.

Nitroglycerine 29·5 Collodion cotton 0·5 Potassium nitrate 32 Wood meal 38

=PICROL.=--See Shellite.

=PIERRITE.=--A form of Cheddite which was made at Gamsee, near Brig, for excavating the Simplon tunnel--

Potassium chlorate 80 Nitro-naphthalene 11·5 Picric acid 2 Castor oil 6·5

=PIT-ITE= was a coal-mine explosive of the Carbonite type, made by the New Explosives Co., Ltd. The composition, which was on the old Permitted List, was--

Nitroglycerine 26 Barium nitrate 33 Wood meal 41 and a little sodium or calcium carbonate.

In order to pass the Rotherham Test, the composition was modified to the following, No. 2, which was formerly on the Permitted List--

Date of Permit 1-9-13 Nitroglycerine 24 Potassium nitrate 30 Wood meal 38 Ammonium oxalate 8

Limit charge over 32 oz. Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·15”

=PITSEA POWDER NO. 2= was a coal-mine explosive on the Permitted List, made by the British Explosives Syndicate, Ltd.--

Date of Permit 25-11-13 Nitroglycerine 6·5 Ammonium nitrate 55 Potassium nitrate 10 Wood meal 10 Ammonium oxalate 18·5

Limit charge 8 oz. Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·64”

The permit has been repealed.

Gesteins-=PLASTAMMON=.--A German blasting explosive containing not less than 70 per cent. of ammonium nitrate, glycerine, not more than 15 per cent. of nitro-toluene or other nitro-compounds, and not more than 4 per cent. of nitro-semicellulose.

Steinkohlen-=PLASTAMMON= is a variation of this, containing not more than 25 per cent. of potassium nitrate, and intended for use in coal mines.

=*PLASTOMENIT= was an early German shot-gun powder which possessed no great merits. The following was the composition of a sample examined in 1893, and given in “Arms and Explosives,” 1917, p. 90--