Pyrotechnics ... Was Ivory Keytops

[Isaac OLEG]

Hi, I thought dynamite was a mix of nitroglycerine and gun cotton, but
my experiments with those products are .. small !

Isaac


-----Message d'origine-----
De : Ron Nossaman [mailto:rnossaman@cox.net]
Envoye : vendredi 6 aout 2004 20:07
A : oleg-i@noos.fr; Pianotech
Objet : RE: Pyrotechnics ... Was Ivory Keytops



>But too much hotness and celluloid goes on fire for sure (that is an
>element of Nobel power or dynamite if I recall correctly).

Dynamite was originally a mixture of nitroglycerine and diatomaceous
earth.
I have no idea if it still is, but it had no celluloid. Celluloid came
from
gun cotton, made by treating cotton with nitric and sulfuric acid
(making
cellulose nitrate). Gun cotton gave us celluloid for billiard balls,
combs,
cheap keytops, corset stays, and various explosive mixtures for
firearms
and mining, etc. Dynamite gave us flying stumps, the Panama Canal, and
more
colorful 1960's westerns.

Ron N