guncotton

explosive

Also known as: nitrocotton

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June 29, 2026

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Guncotton, also known as nitrocellulose, is a highly flammable compound and a key ingredient in modern gunpowder. It is created by treating cellulose, derived from wood pulp or cotton seeds, with nitric acid. The degree of nitration determines its properties; highly nitrated nitrocellulose, containing over 12.5 percent nitrogen, is known as guncotton and is unstable to heat, igniting above 150°C.12

Guncotton is used in explosives, gunpowders, and solid rocket propellants. Early attempts to use it as a propellant were too violent, but by the 1880s, stabilizers were added to create reliable smokeless powders. Moderately nitrated nitrocellulose, which is less flammable, is used in paints and coatings.13

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Christian Friedrich Schönbein
…was the first to describe guncotton (nitrocellulose). His teaching posts included one at Epsom, England, before he joined the faculty at the University of Basel, Switzerland (1828), where he was appointed professor of chemistry and physics in 1835.
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…was the first to describe guncotton (nitrocellulose). His teaching posts included one at Epsom, England, before he joined the faculty at the University of Basel, Switzerland (1828), where he was appointed professor of chemistry and physics in 1835.
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bullet
…the introduction of nitrocellulose, or guncotton, in place of black powder as the propellant charge provided the final element for the modern bullet.
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…the introduction of nitrocellulose, or guncotton, in place of black powder as the propellant charge provided the final element for the modern bullet.
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gunpowder
…for use in firearms by guncotton and other, more stable forms of nitrocellulose. Unlike black powder, which burns by the chemical reactions of its constituent ingredients, nitrocellulose is an inherently unstable compound that burns by decomposing rapidly, forming hot gases. In contrast to black powder, it produces almost all gas…
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…for use in firearms by guncotton and other, more stable forms of nitrocellulose. Unlike black powder, which burns by the chemical reactions of its constituent ingredients, nitrocellulose is an inherently unstable compound that burns by decomposing rapidly, forming hot gases. In contrast to black powder, it produces almost all gas…
Read More