Part 9

=*CENTRALITE= is not an explosive, but is a name given to a substance which has been used to modify the surface of smokeless powder, and make it burn progressively. The substance is dimethyl-diphenyl-urea. (See Brit. Pat. 29,882 of 1909.) It acts also as a stabiliser.

=CHEDDITE= is a chlorate explosive which has been rendered less sensitive by having the particles of chlorate coated with castor oil or paraffin wax. It is manufactured by the French Government at the Vonges Powder Works, and has also been made in other countries. The two types that have been most used in France are--

O2 or No. 4. O5 or No. 1. Potassium chlorate 79 -- Sodium chlorate -- 79 Castor oil 5 5 Mononitro-naphthalene 1 -- Dinitro-toluene 15 16

=*CHEESA STICKS= are sticks of cordite coated with powdered ammonium oxalate and shellac. They are used in South Africa as fuses for blasting charges. They are authorised in England only for manufacture and immediate export.

=*CHILWORTH SMOKELESS POWDER.= See =C.S.P.=

=*CHILWORTH SPECIAL POWDER.= See =AMIDE POWDER=.

=CHLORATIT= is an Austrian explosive, which was permitted for use in coal mines during the War.

=CHLORATZIT.=--A German explosive containing potassium chlorate or perchlorate, aromatic nitro-bodies, resins and carbohydrates. For use in coal mines neutral salts are added as cooling agents, and the name then has =WETTER= or =KOHLEN= prefixed to it.

=CHROMAMONIT= was a coal-mine explosive formerly made in Germany--

Ammonium nitrate 63·25 Potassium nitrate 17·5 Collodion cotton 9·25 Chromium ammonium alum 9·5 Vaseline 0·5

=*CLERMONITE.=--A Belgian shot-gun powder made by the Cooppal Co. It is a 40-grain fibrous powder of the bulk type and coloured green.

=CLIFFITE= was a coal-mine explosive made by Curtis’s and Harvey, and formerly on the Permitted List--

Nitroglycerine 47 Collodion cotton 3 Starch 50

=SUPER-CLIFFITE= differs considerably from this. There are two formulæ which have passed the Rotherham Test, but only No. 2 is still on the Permitted List--

No. 1. No. 2. Date of Permit 21-9-16 21-9-16

Nitroglycerine 9·5 9·5 Collodion cotton 0·5 0·5 Ammonium nitrate 59 59·5 Wood meal 6 6 Sodium chloride 15 19·5 Ammonium oxalate 10 5

Limit charge 26 30 oz. Power (swing of ballistic pendulum) 2·53 2·53”

=CLYDITE= was a coal-mine explosive formerly made by Nobels at Ardeer. It was similar to Nobel Carbonite, but the potassium nitrate was replaced by the barium salt, and it might contain up to 8 per cent. of ammonium oxalate.

=COALITE.=--There is a series of coal-mine explosives of this name on the American Permissible List. Varieties X, 3X, and 3XC are ammonium nitrate explosives; whereas 1, 2D, 2DL and 2MLF are nitroglycerine explosives.

=COAL SPECIAL= are American coal-mine explosives on the Permissible List. They are all nitroglycerine explosives.

=COCOA POWDER= or Brown Powder was a variety of gunpowder made with a brown charcoal prepared from straw--

Potassium nitrate 79 Sulphur 3 Straw charcoal 18

It was compressed to a density of 1·8 into prisms or grains of considerable size, and was used in guns of large calibre. E.X.E. and S.B.C. were special varieties of this.

=COLINIT ANTIGRISOUTEUSE.=--A Belgian coal-mine explosive of the Carbonite type. The ordinary formula is practically the same as that of Kohlencarbonite and Minerite. Type B consists of--

Blasting gelatine 26 Potassium perchlorate 6 Ammonium nitrate 20 Trinitro-toluene 12 Rye flour and cellulose 29 Magnesium sulphate 7

=COLLIER POWDER.=--There are a number of coal-mine explosives of this name on the American Permissible List. Varieties BNF, KN, X, XLF, 5, 5LF, 5 Special, 9, 11, and 11LF are ammonium nitrate explosives whereas 2 and 6LF are nitroglycerine explosives.

=COLLODION COTTON= is a variety of nitrocotton of low nitration, almost completely soluble in a mixture of ether and alcohol. It contains not more than 12·3 per cent. of nitrogen. It also dissolves in nitroglycerine and liquid nitro-compounds, rendering them gelatinous and so preventing their exudation.

=*COOPPAL’S POWDER.=--A Belgian smokeless shot-gun powder. Formerly it was much the same as Schultze Powder, consisting of nitrolignin carefully purified, and mixed with nitrates with or without the addition of starch. The following analyses were published in “Arms and Explosives” for July 1917--