Astralit IV consists of ammonium nitrate, not more than 10 per cent. of aromatic nitro-bodies not more dangerous than dinitro-naphthalene, vegetable meal, and not more than 4 per cent. of [blasting gelatine].

Astralit V, which has been introduced recently, contains up to 10 per cent. of potassium perchlorate in addition to ammonium nitrate, also vegetable meal, not more than 16 per cent. of aromatic nitro-compounds, and not more than 4 per cent. of nitroglycerine.

Gelatine-Astralit is a gelatinised or powdery mixture of the nitrates of ammonium and sodium (or potassium), not more than 50 per cent. of dinitro-chlorhydrin, not more than 5 per cent. of nitroglycerine, not more than 2 per cent. of collodion cotton, vegetable meal, aromatic nitro-bodies such as nitro-toluenes or nitro-naphthalenes, but not more than 4 per cent. of trinitro-toluene; also hydrocarbons.

Wetter-Astralit is a coal-mine explosive, and differs from Astralit in that part of the ammonium nitrate is replaced by sodium chloride.

Wetter-Gelatine-Astralit is also a coal-mine explosive, and differs from Gelatine-Astralit in that it contains also fatty oils and neutral salts, such as potassium chloride, sodium chloride or an oxalate.

The following percentage compositions have been given—

Astralit.Wetter-
  Astralit.
Nitroglycerine4  4 
Ammonium nitrate84·574·5
Trinitro-toluene7  7 
Wood meal1  1 
Charcoal1  1 
Paraffin oil2·52·5
Sodium chloride—  10 
Gelatine-
Wetter-
Astralit.
Nitroglycerine4 
Dinitro-chlorhydrin16 
Nitrocotton0·5
Ammonium nitrate40 
Sodium nitrate7·5
Dinitro-toluene4 
Nitro-toluene1 
Wood meal0·5
Potato meal8 
Rape oil2 
Ammonium oxalate  2·5
Sodium chloride14 

Explosives of the Astralit type have also been used extensively by the Germans for filling trench howitzer shell and similar projectiles. The following is approximately the composition used for this purpose—

Nitroglycerine3 
Nitrocotton0·5
Ammonium nitrate  77 
Trinitro-toluene16 
Wood meal3·5