smokeless powder
Quick Summary
Smokeless powder is a type of low explosive propellant that produces minimal smoke upon detonation. It primarily consists of gelatinized nitrocellulose.1
The development of smokeless powder began with guncotton, invented in 1845, but it was too volatile for use as a propellant. By the 1880s, chemists developed more stable forms. Paul Vieille created the first true smokeless powder by dissolving nitrocellulose in ether and alcohol, forming a gelatinous mass that was then rolled into sheets and cut into flakes.2
Unlike black powder, which burns by the reaction of its components, nitrocellulose rapidly decomposes, producing hot gases. This results in higher muzzle velocities and less strain on firearms. Smokeless powders can be single-base (nitrocellulose only) or double-base (nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin). They offer advantages such as reduced smoke, greater efficiency, and improved storage stability.32
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nitrocelluloseChronology of development and use…first stable and reliable propellant, smokeless powder, resulted from his work and became the main form of gunpowder.
Read More…first stable and reliable propellant, smokeless powder, resulted from his work and became the main form of gunpowder.
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explosiveNitrocellulosic explosives…Paul Vieille, made the first smokeless powder as it is now known. He partially dissolved nitrocellulose in a mixture of ether and alcohol until it became a gelatinous mass, which he rolled into sheets and then cut into flakes. When the solvent evaporated, it left a hard, dense material resembling…
Read More…Paul Vieille, made the first smokeless powder as it is now known. He partially dissolved nitrocellulose in a mixture of ether and alcohol until it became a gelatinous mass, which he rolled into sheets and then cut into flakes. When the solvent evaporated, it left a hard, dense material resembling…
Read More