Nitrocellulose

-= Exodus =-

Nitrocellulose is usually called "gunpowder" or "guncotton". It is more stable than black powder, and it produces a much greater volume of hot gas. It also burns much faster than black powder when it is in a confined space. Finally, nitrocellulose is fairly easy to make, as outlined by the following procedure:

 MATERIALS                    EQUIPMENT
 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ                    ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
 cotton  (cellulose)          two (2) 200-300 ml beakers

 concentrated                 funnel and filter paper
 nitric acid
                              blue litmus paper
 concentrated
 sulfuric acid

 distilled water

1. Pour 10 cc of concentrated sulfuric acid into the beaker. Add to this 10 cc of concentrated nitric acid.
2. Immediately add 0.5 gm of cotton, and allow it to soak for exactly 3 minutes.
3. Remove the nitrocotton, and transfer it to a beaker of distilled water to wash it in.
4. Allow the material to dry, and then re-wash it.
5. After the cotton is neutral when tested with litmus paper, it is ready to be dried and stored.