Part 28

Nitrocellulose, insoluble 32·7 ” soluble 19·3 Metallic nitrates 21·0 Dinitro-toluene (solvent) 26·0 Moisture 1·0

=PLASTROTYL.=--A German high explosive for filling shell. It consists of a partially liquid mixture of trinitro- and dinitro-toluene gelatinised by means of not more than 0·5 per cent. of collodion cotton, and mixed with a small quantity of turpentine or soft resin. It does not appear to be in use now.

=PLESSIT= is a blasting explosive that was introduced in Germany during the War. It consists of potassium chlorate, not more than 9·5 per cent. of kerosene and 0·5 per cent. of albumen. Wetter-Plessit III. contains sodium chloride as well.

=PNIOWIT.=--A German blasting explosive containing ammonium nitrate, trinitro-toluene, wood meal and a small percentage of potassium perchlorate.

Nobel =POLARITE= is a blasting explosive made by Nobel’s Explosives Co., Ltd. It consists of potassium perchlorate, and nitroglycerine mixed with a nitro-compound and gelatinised with collodion cotton, and absorbed in wood meal.

Poudres =B=, =J=, =M=, =S=, =T=. See under respective letters.

=PRAEPOSIT= is a modified gunpowder--

Potassium (or sodium) nitrate 70 Sulphur 18 Charcoal 6 Hipposin 6

the last constituent being a fine powdery substance obtained from dried horse dung. It is slower than ordinary blasting powder and more expensive. It has a tendency to blow out, and opinions as to its value vary. Formerly it was supplied in the form of a fine powder, but it is now granulated or made into compressed cartridges.

=*PRIMROSE SMOKELESS= is an inexpensive 42-grain bulk powder for shot-guns made by the New Explosives Co.

=PROGRESSIT= was an explosive formerly used in Austrian coal mines--

Ammonium nitrate 94 89 Aniline hydrochloride 6 5 Ammonium sulphate -- 6

It was superseded in 1913 by Pannonit.

=PROMÉTHÉE= or =PROMETHEUS= is a Sprengel explosive made by the French Government, by whom it is also called Explosif O3. It consists of a porous oxygen carrier and a liquid combustible, which are supplied separately, and the one is dipped in the other shortly before use--

a b c Potassium chlorate 95 90 80 } Manganese dioxide 5 10 20 } Oxygen carrier, 92 to 87%

1 2 Nitro-benzene 50 60 } Turpentine 20 15 } Combustible, 8 to 13% Naphtha 30 25 }

Any combination of a, b or c with 1 or 2 may be used. The amount of liquid combustible taken up may vary from 8 to 13 per cent.: this irregularity is a serious defect, and may cause incomplete detonation. This explosive is also made in Italy.

=PROSPERIT= is a German ammonium nitrate explosive, containing also vegetable meal, nitro-compounds and other constituents. It may contain up to 4 per cent. of blasting gelatine.

Gelatine-Prosperit contains also up to 20 per cent. of dinitro-chlorhydrin gelatinised with collodion cotton.

=PULVÉRIN.=--An ungranulated black powder made in France for use in fireworks, etc.

=PULVÉRITE.=--A Belgian coal-mine explosive containing perchlorate--

Ammonium nitrate 30·5 Potassium perchlorate 24 Nitroglycerine 6 Collodion cotton 0·5 Trinitro-toluene 7 Flour 5 Sodium chloride 18 Ammonium sulphate 7 Barium sulphate 2

The “charge limite” is 850 grammes, equivalent to 504 grammes of Dynamite No. 1.

=PYROCOLLODION= is a nitrocotton almost entirely soluble in ether-alcohol, and of comparatively high nitration. It contains about 12·5 to 12·7 per cent. of nitrogen, and consequently has about enough oxygen to oxidise all its hydrogen to water, and its carbon to the monoxide. It was first prepared by Mendeléeff for the Russian smokeless powder, and was afterwards adopted by the United States for their present powder.

=PYROXILINE= was a name formerly given to nitro-cellulose.

=RACK-A-ROCK= is a Sprengel explosive which has been used extensively in America, and also in Siberia and China. It consists of cartridges of potassium chlorate mixed sometimes with oxide of iron, which are dipped shortly before use into a liquid. The latter is nitro-benzene or “dead oil,” a heavy hydrocarbon oil obtained from coal-tar, or a mixture of the two. The chlorate cartridges are enclosed in small cotton bags, and are placed in a wire basket suspended from a spring balance. They are dipped into a vessel containing the liquid until a quarter or a third of the weight of the chlorate has been taken up.

=RASCHIT= is a blasting explosive consisting entirely of salts readily soluble in water, invented by F. Raschig. The incorporation is carried out by dissolving the constituents in water, and evaporating the solution rapidly on a rotating steam-heated drum. The oxidising substance is ammonium or sodium nitrate, and the combustible is the sodium salt of an organic sulphonate or the residue obtained from the manufacture of wood cellulose.

II. III. IV. V. VI. Ammonium nitrate -- 84 87 60 85 Sodium nitrate 70 -- -- -- -- Ammonium nitro-cresol sulphonate -- 16 -- -- -- Sodium cresol sulphonate 30 -- 13 10 -- Cellulose residue -- -- -- -- 15 Sodium sulphate -- -- -- 30 --