Skeletal formula of nitrocellulose

Ball-and-stick model of a section of nitrocellulose

Nitrocellulose (also: cellulose nitrate, flash paper) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. The skeletal formula of an Organic compound is a shorthand representation of its molecular structure. Ball-and-stick models and Space-filling models (also known as Calotte models) are 3D or spatial Molecular models which serve to display the structure Cellulose is an Organic compound with the formula, a Polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β(1→4 Nitric acid ( H[[nitrate NO3]] also known as Aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton. A propellant is a material that is used to move ("propel" an object An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied

Uses

• Nitrocellulose is a major component of smokeless gunpowder (also see the section on guncotton below). Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of Propellants used in Firearms and Artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired unlike the older
• Early photographic film, especially 35mm motion picture film prior to 1950. This article is mainly concerned with Still photography film For Motion picture film please see Film stock.
• Nitrocellulose membrane or nitrocellulose paper is a sticky membrane used for immobilizing nucleic acids in Southern blots and Northern blots. An artificial membrane, also called a synthetic membrane, is a membrane prepared for separation tasks in Laboratory and industry A Southern blot is a method routinely used in Molecular biology to check for the presence of a DNA sequence in a DNA sample The northern blot is a technique used in Molecular biology research to study Gene expression. It is also used for immobilization of proteins in Western blots, due to its non-specific affinity for amino acids. The western blot (alternatively immunoblot) is an Analytical technique used to detect specific Proteins in a given sample of tissue homogenate or In Chemistry, an amino acid is a Molecule containing both Amine and Carboxyl Functional groups In Biochemistry, this Nitrocellulose is widely used as support in diagnostic tests where antigen-antibody binding occur, e. g. pregnancy tests, U-Albumin tests and CRP.
• When dissolved in ether or other organic solvents, the solution is called collodion, which has been used as a wound dressing and carrier of topical medications since the U.S. Civil War. Diethyl ether, also known as ether and ethoxyethane, is a clear colorless and highly Flammable liquid with a low Boiling point and a Collodion is a solution of Nitrocellulose in ether or Acetone, sometimes with the addition of Alcohols Its generic name is pyroxylin solution Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South To this day it is used in Compound W Wart Remover as a carrier of salicylic acid, the active ingredient. Salicylic acid (from the Latin word for the willow tree Salix, from whose bark it can be obtained is a Beta hydroxy acid (BHA with the formula
• Collodion was also used as the carrier for silver salts in some very early photographic emulsions, particularly spread in thin layers on glass plates. Photography (fә'tɒgrәfi or fә'tɑːgrәfi (from Greek φωτο and γραφία is the process and Art of recording pictures by means of capturing
• Magician's flash paper, sheets of paper or cloth made from nitrocellulose, which burn almost instantly, with a bright flash, and leave no ash.
• Nail polish
• Hair coloring
• Radon tests for alpha track etches
• Nitrocellulose lacquer was used as a finish on guitars for most of the 20th century and is still used on some current applications. Nail polish or nail varnish is a Lacquer that is applied to the nails of both the Fingers and Toes usually cosmetically but also as Hair coloring is a process used to color human Hair. It is used for a variety of purposes most commonly to return gray hair to its previous color to change hair color Radon (ˈreɪdɒn is the Chemical element that has the symbol Rn and Atomic number 86 In a general sense lacquer is a clear or coloured Varnish, that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard durable finish in any Manufactured by (among others) Dupont, the paint was also used on automobiles sharing the same color codes as many guitars, primarily Fender brands of guitars. It is also used on Gibson Guitars. ^[1]
• Nitrocellulose lacquer is also used as an aircraft dope, painted onto fabric-covered aircraft to tauten and provide protection to the material. Aircraft dope is a plasticised Lacquer that is applied to fabric-coated Aircraft.
• As a transportation medium for one-time pads, thus making the disposal of the pad complete, secure, and efficient. In Cryptography, the one-time pad (OTP is an Encryption Algorithm where the Plaintext is combined with a random key or "pad"

Guncotton and gunpowder

Various types of smokeless powder, consisting primarily of nitrocellulose

Henri Braconnot discovered in 1832 that nitric acid, when combined with starch or wood fibers, would produce a lightweight combustible explosive material which he named xyloïdine. Henri Braconnot ( Commercy May 29, 1780 - Nancy January 15, 1855) was a French Chemist and Pharmacist An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied A few years later in 1838 another French chemist Théophile-Jules Pelouze (teacher of Ascanio Sobrero and Alfred Nobel) treated paper and cardboard in the same way. Théophile-Jules Pelouze (also known as Jules Pelouze, Théophile Pelouze, Theo Pelouze, or TJ Pelouze, February 26, 1807 Ascanio Sobrero ( October 12 1812 &ndash May 26 1888) was the Italian Chemist, born in Casale Monferrato, who (21 October 1833 Stockholm, Sweden – 10 December 1896 Sanremo, Italy) was a Swedish chemist engineer innovator armaments manufacturer He obtained a similar material he called nitramidine. Both of these substances were highly unstable, and were not practical explosives.

However, Christian Friedrich Schönbein, a German-Swiss chemist, discovered a more practical solution around 1846. Christian Friedrich Schönbein ( October 18, 1799 &ndash August 29, 1868) was a German - Swiss Chemist who is As he was working in the kitchen of his home in Basle, he spilled a bottle of concentrated nitric acid on the kitchen table. "Basilia" redirects here For the Fly Genus, see Basilia (fly. He reached for the nearest cloth, a cotton apron, and wiped it up. He hung the apron on the stove door to dry, and as soon as it was dry there was a flash as the apron exploded. His preparation method was the first to be widely imitated — one part of fine cotton wool to be immersed in fifteen parts of an equal blend of sulfuric and nitric acids. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Sulfuric (or sulphuric acid, H 2 S[[oxygen O]]4 is a strong Mineral acid. Nitric acid ( H[[nitrate NO3]] also known as Aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and After two minutes the cotton was removed and washed in cold water to set the esterification level and remove all acid residue. Esterification is the general name for a Chemical reaction in which two reactants (typically an alcohol and an acid form an Ester as the reaction product It was then slowly dried at a temperature below 100°C. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Schönbein collaborated with the Frankfurt professor Rudolf Böttger, who had discovered the process independently in the same year. By a strange coincidence there was even a third chemist, the Braunschweig professor F. J. Otto, who had also produced guncotton in 1846 and was the first to publish the process, much to the disenchantment of Schönbein and Böttger. (Itzehoer Wochenblatt, 29 October 1846, columns 1626 f. )

The process uses the nitric acid to convert the cellulose into cellulose nitrite and water:

2HNO₃+ C₆H₁₀O₅ → C₆H₈(NO₂)₂O₅ + 2H₂O

The sulfuric acid is present to protonate the nitric acid to form the nitronium ion. The nitronium ion (improperly called nitryl ion, because it is not a radical 2+ is a generally unstable Cation created by the removal of an

The power of guncotton made it suitable for blasting. As a projectile driver, it has around six times the gas generation of an equal volume of black powder and produces less smoke and less heating. Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes However the sensitivity of the material during production led the British, Prussians and French to discontinue manufacture within a year. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Jules Verne viewed the development of guncotton with optimism. Jules Gabriel Verne ( February 8 1828 &ndash March 24 1905) was a French Author who pioneered the science-fiction He referred to the substance several times in his novels. His adventurers carried firearms employing this substance. Most notably, in his From the Earth to the Moon, guncotton was used to launch a projectile into space. From the Earth to the Moon (De la Terre à la Lune 1865) is a humorous Science fantasy Novel by Jules Verne and is

Further research indicated that the key was the very careful preparation of the cotton: unless it was very well cleaned and dried, it was likely to explode spontaneously. The British, led by Frederick Augustus Abel, also developed a much lengthier manufacturing process at the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills, patented in 1865, with the washing and drying times each extended to 48 hours and repeated eight times over. Sir Frederick Augustus Abel 1st Baronet FRS ( 17 July 1827 &ndash 6 September 1902) was an English Chemist. The Royal Gunpowder Mills, Waltham Abbey, an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage, (ERIH set in of parkland and containing The acid mixture was also changed to two parts sulfuric acid to one part nitric.

Guncotton remained useful only for limited applications. For firearms, a more stable and slower burning mixture would be needed. A firearm is a Tool that projects either single or multiple Projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion Guncotton-like preparations were eventually prepared for this role, known at the time as smokeless powder. Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of Propellants used in Firearms and Artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired unlike the older

Guncotton, dissolved at approximately 25% in acetone, forms a lacquer used in preliminary stages of wood finishing to develop a hard finish with a deep luster. It is normally the first coat applied, sanded, and followed by other coatings that bond to it.

Nitrate film

Nitrocellulose was used as the first flexible film base, beginning with Eastman Kodak products in August, 1889. A film base is a transparent substrate which acts as a support medium for the Photosensitive Emulsion that lies atop it Eastman Kodak Company ( is an American multinational Public company which produces imaging and photographic materials and equipment Camphor is used as plasticizer for nitrocellulose film. } Camphor is a waxy white or transparent solid with a strong aromatic odor Plasticizers are additives that increase the Plasticity or Fluidity of the material to which they are added these include plastics cement concrete wallboard and It was used until 1933 for X-ray films (where its flammability hazard was most acute) and for motion picture film until 1951. X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation. It was replaced by safety film with an acetate base. Because of the highly flammable nature of cellulose Nitrate film, by the beginning of the 20th century manufacturers had begun to introduce Cellulose acetate as a safe alternative

German WW2 newsreel film (circa 1940) believed to be nitrocellulose, made by AGFA

The use of nitrocellulose film for motion pictures led to a widespread requirement for fireproof projection rooms with wall coverings made of asbestos. Asbestos is a group of Minerals with long thin fibrous Crystals The word "asbestos" (῾ἀσβεστος is derived from a Greek adjective Famously, the US Navy shot a training film for projectionists which included footage of a controlled ignition of a reel of nitrate film which continued to burn even when fully submerged in water. Due to public safety precautions, the London Underground forbade transport of nitrate films on its system until well past the introduction of safety film. The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire A cinema fire caused by ignition of nitrocellulose film stock (foreshadowed by an earlier small fire) was a central plot element in the Italian film Cinema Paradiso. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Nuovo Cinema Paradiso ( 1988) an Italian Film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Today nitrate film projection is usually highly regulated and requires extensive precautionary measures including extra projectionist health and safety training. Additionally, projectors certified to run nitrate films have many containment strategies in effect. Among them, this includes the chambering of both the feed and takeup reels in thick metal covers with small slits to allow the film to run through. Furthermore, the projector is modified to accommodate several fire extinguishers with nozzles all aimed directly at the film gate; the extinguishers automatically trigger if a piece of flammable fabric placed near the gate starts to burn. While this triggering would likely damage or destroy a significant portion of the projection components, it would prevent a devastating fire which almost certainly would cause far greater damage. In addition, projection rooms may be required to have automatically operating metal covers for the projection windows, preventing the spreading of a fire to the auditorium. An auditorium (plural auditoriums, or less commonly auditoria) is the area within a theatre, Concert hall, or other performance space where the

It was discovered decades later that nitrocellulose gradually decomposes, releasing nitric acid which further catalyzes the decomposition (usually into a still-flammable powder or goo). Low temperatures can delay these reactions indefinitely. It is estimated that the great majority of films produced during the early twentieth century were lost forever either through this accelerating, self-catalyzed disintegration or studio warehouse fires. Salvaging old films is a major problem for film archivists (see film preservation). The film preservation, or film restoration, movement is an ongoing project among film historians archivists Museums and Non-profit organizations to rescue

Nitrocellulose film base manufactured by Kodak can be identified by the presence of the word Nitrate in dark letters between the perforations. Eastman Kodak Company ( is an American multinational Public company which produces imaging and photographic materials and equipment Acetate film manufactured during the era when nitrate films were still in use was marked Safety or Safety Film between the perforations dark letters. Letters in white or light colors are print-through from the negative.

Color negative film was never manufactured with a nitrate base, nor were 8 mm or 16 mm motion picture film stocks. 8 mm film is a motion picture film format in which the filmstrip is eight Millimeters wide

Other uses

Depending on the manufacturing process, nitrocellulose is esterified to varying degrees. Table tennis balls, guitar picks and some photographic films have a fairly low esterification level and burn comparatively slowly with some charred residue. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles See celluloid. Celluloid is the name of a class of compounds created from Nitrocellulose and Camphor, plus dyes and other agents

Nitrated cotton: Used as liftcharge for indoor fireworks, for hand flashers and magicians

Nitrated yarn: Used as fuse for indoor fireworks and to make things fall down on command

Nitrated paper: Mainly used by magicians to make paper disapear in a flash, but also indoor fireworks as comets

Nitrated cellulose: Ice fountains, indoor fireworks, making smokeless gunpowder, celluloid, paints, Fender uses light layers on some of their guitar bodies.

MythBusters

An episode of MythBusters involved guncotton being fired inside of a miniature cannon. MythBusters is a Popular science Television program produced by Australian firm Beyond Television Productions originally for the When the formula was revealed, sulfuric and nitric acids were censored by animal noises, and the two final steps were not included.

References

See also

• Smokeless powder
• Cordite
• Nitroglycerine
• Nitrostarch

External links

• Pictures of a projector after a nitrate film fire
• Nitrocellulose Paper Video (aka:Flash paper)