Proceedings of the Lake Superior Mining Institute Volume 21 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 Excerpt: ... It is poisonous. The action of solar light causes the decomposition of nitroglycerin, as well as that of nitric compounds in general. This is the reason why dynamite should never be thawed by placing it in the warm sunlight. Submittted to the action of heat, nitroglycerin is volatilized to an appreciable extent, especially toward 212 F; it may even be completely distilled, if this temperature be long maintained, but if the temperature be suddenly raised to alxxut 3920 F., nitroglycerin ignites and a little above it explodes with great violence. Also, perfectly pure nitroglycerin will not stand a temperature of 2120 F. for more than a few hours without decomposition and possibly explosion. Its inflammation, caused by contact with an ignited body, gives rise to nitrous vapor and a complex reaction, with the production of a yellow flame without explosion, properly socalled, at least as long as small quantities of matter are operated upon, but if the mass be too great, it burns in layers until the lower body arrives at a temperature of 3920 F., which is the exploding point. One kilogram of Nitroglycerin should give 1135 litres of gaseous products. The temperature of detonation of nitroglycerin is 30050 C, or 54410 F. The quantity of energy given off by 1 kilogram is 6050.48 kilogrammeters; by one pound 19850.58 foot pounds. The per cent, by weight of products of detonation are by analysis: Carbonic acid C02 57.6 Oxygen 02 2.7 Nitrogen N2 18.8 Water H20 20.7 99.8 The specific heat of liquid nitroglycerin is 0.4248. The latent heat of frozen nitroglycerin (latent heat of fusion) is 33.5 calories. Thoroughly washed nitroglycerin does not lose its strength with age. On freezing, nitroglycerin expands 10/121 of its entire volume which is greater than any other liqu...