A Military Dictionary and Gazetteer / Comprising ancient and modern military technical terms, historical accounts of all North American Indians, as well as ancient warlike tribes; also notices of battles from the earliest period to the present time, with a concise explanation of terms used in heraldry and the offices thereof. The work also gives valuable geographical information. Compiled from the best authorities of all nations. With an appendix containing the Articles of war, etc.

by Thomas Wilhelm

Explosives, Composition of. Ordinary explosives of which gunpowder is the type are mechanical mixtures of two essential ingredients,—one a combustible, the other an oxidizing agent. The combustible is usually carbon,—sometimes associated with hydrogen. It may be sulphur or any substance having a great affinity for oxygen. Organic substances containing carbon and hydrogen are frequently used. In the chemical reaction the carbon is oxidized to carbonic acid and the hydrogen to water with the evolution of great heat.

The oxidizing substances ordinarily used are the nitrates and chlorates. Mixtures containing nitrates are the most stable, since the nitrate is comparatively slow to give up its oxygen. The chlorate mixtures are sensitive to friction and percussion, and explode with great quickness. Many of them are unsafe to handle. A new mode of preparing chlorate mixtures has been suggested which avoids this danger. A combustible liquid is used, being absorbed in cakes or lumps of potassium or other chlorate.

Detonating explosives are chemical compounds. Among them are chloride and iodide of nitrogen. Both are dangerous, violent explosives of which no practical use has been made.

The fulminates are salts of fulminic acid. The fulminate of mercury is the one in common use. See [Fulminates].

The nitro-substitution compounds form a large class, comprising the most important of the higher explosives. They are all formed by the action of nitric acid on organic substances containing oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. This action is to replace hydrogen (H) in the organic substance by hyponitric acid (NO₂) (in the acid), equivalent for equivalent. Sulphuric acid is generally mixed with the nitric, though it plays no direct part in the reaction, being used to absorb the water formed and prevent the dilution of the nitric acid.

Nitro-glycerine, the most powerful explosive in common use, is formed by the action of the acids on glycerine. See [Nitro-glycerine].

Nitro-starch and [nitro-mannite] are analogous substances, formed by the action of the acids on starch and sugar.

Gun-cotton is produced by the action of the acids on cotton-wool—a form of cellulose. See [Gun-cotton].

There are varieties of all these compounds produced, by the substitution of different numbers of equivalents of hyponitric acid, but the names are specially given to the most highly nitrated forms.

Picric acid, the salts of which form the well-known picrates, is made by the action of the acids on carbolic acid.