Part 32

=SEBOMITE= is a French chlorate explosive resembling Cheddite, but containing tallow instead of castor oil.

=SECURITE= was one of the first coal-mine explosives. It contained ammonium nitrate and dinitro-benzene, and was therefore similar to Bellite and Roburite.

=SECUROPHORE.=--A Belgian coal-mine explosive containing nitroglycerine, nitrates, flour and other constituents.

=SENGITE= is a variety of Tonite introduced in South Africa as a substitute for Gelignite in consequence of the scarcity of glycerine due to the War. It contains guncotton and sodium nitrate, and sufficient moisture to render it safe to handle without diminishing its strength. The first four letters of its name stand for substitute explosive no glycerine. It requires a priming cartridge of gelignite or similar explosive. It is more expensive than gelignite, and consequently is not likely to be used when the scarcity of glycerine has been relieved.

=SHELLITE.=--A high explosive consisting of picric acid and dinitro-phenol, used for filling shells. The mixture possesses the advantage over straight picric acid that it melts at a lower temperature. It was for a time called Picrol.

=SHEPPEY POWDER.=--A coal-mine explosive made by the Cotton Powder Co. which was on the Permitted List for a short time, but was removed in 1914--

Date of Permit 25-11-13

Nitroglycerine 27 Potassium nitrate 31 Wood meal 36 Ammonium oxalate 6

Limit charge 10 oz. Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·10”

=SIEGENIT.=--A German blasting explosive containing ammonium nitrate, flour, and not more than 15 per cent. of dinitro-toluene. For use in coal mines, sodium chloride and magnesium sulphate are added as diluents, and nitroglycerine to increase the sensitiveness.

=SILESIA= is a German blasting explosive consisting of potassium chlorate, the particles of which are coated with resin or oxidised resin. The latter is made by treating ground colophony, mixed with 10 per cent. of starch, with nitric acid. After washing and drying this is incorporated with the chlorate with the aid of alcohol, in which it is soluble. For use in coal mines sodium chloride is sometimes added. The following are examples--

4. 4a. IV. 22. Potassium chlorate 80 80 70 Resin 20 16 } 8 ” oxidised -- 4 } Sodium chloride -- -- 22

It is practically the same as Steelite.

=*S.K., S.R., S.S., S.V.= were partially gelatinised fibrous smokeless powders, introduced by the Smokeless Powder Co. about 1889. They are no longer made. The following analyses were given in “Arms and Explosives,” 1917, p. 77--

S.R. S.S. Nitrocellulose, insoluble 45·2 53·0 ” soluble 25·5 13·0 Metallic nitrates. 18·5 18·0 Nitro-compound -- 10·0 Vaseline -- 4·6 Starch 8·0 -- Moisture 2·8 1·4

The nitrocellulose was made from lignin. S.S. was a 38-grain bulk powder; S.R. was a fibrous powder for rifles; S.K. a similar powder for small rifles, and S.V. for revolvers.

=*SMOKELESS DIAMOND= is a 33-grain bulk smokeless powder for shot-guns, introduced in 1903 by Curtis’s and Harvey. According to an analysis in “Arms and Explosives,” 1917, p. 78, its composition is--

Nitrocellulose, insoluble 69·0 ” soluble 6·6 Metallic nitrates 15·0 Vaseline 2·5 Charcoal 5·6 Moisture 1·3

=*SOLENITE.=--A smokeless powder introduced in Italy in 1896 for use in rifles--

Nitroglycerine 34 Nitrocotton, soluble 63 Mineral jelly 3

It is gelatinised with the aid of acetone, and is made in the form of translucent short tubes of a light brown colour.

=SPRENGCHLORAT.= See Hassia-Chlorat.

=SPRENGEL EXPLOSIVES= were patented in 1871 by Dr. Hermann Sprengel, F.R.S., the inventor of the mercury vacuum pump. They are made by mixing an oxidising substance with a combustible one, the essential features being that one or both of the substances must be liquid, and the mixing takes place shortly before the explosive is required. The mixture is exploded by means of a fulminate detonator. As oxidising agents, Sprengel mentioned amongst others nitric acid and potassium chlorate; nitrogen peroxide has also been used; as combustibles, a large number of substances including nitro-benzene, nitro-naphthalene, carbon bisulphide, petroleum and picric acid. For most purposes nitric acid is an inconvenient material to use. Porous cartridges of potassium chlorate constitute the oxidiser generally employed, the combustibles being hydrocarbon oils and nitro-benzene. This possesses considerable advantages, as there is no danger of a premature explosion until the constituents have been mixed. Under the British Explosives Act, however, this mixing constitutes “manufacture,” and can only be carried out in a properly licensed factory. Consequently Sprengel explosives have not been used in Great Britain, but they have been employed on a considerable scale in the United States, France, Italy and other countries.

For examples of Sprengel explosives see Panclastite, Prométhée, Rack-a-Rock.

=SPRENGGELATINE= is the German for Blasting Gelatine.

=SPRENGSALPETER= is a cheap German blasting powder made from sodium nitrate, sulphur and brown coal. It is used in the potash mines.

=STABILITE= is a name that has been given to trinitro-anisole. It has been tried as a constituent of a smokeless powder, but it belies its title as it is readily hydrolysed with the formation of picric acid. It has also been used by the Germans as a filling for bombs.

=STANFORD POWDER.=--A coal-mine explosive of the Favier class which was on the Permitted List for a short time in 1913.