Formulas For The Straight Dynamite Series ----------------------------------------- Probably one of the single greatest breakthroughs in explosives came by accident, when Nobel discovered a primitive form of dynamite. One of the primary ingredients of dynamite is nitroglycerin, which has great explosive power, although it has the disadvantage of being ultrasensitive to heat and shock. What dynamite does is to combine the high explosive power of nitro with a stabilizing agent, to render it powerful but safely usable. Nobel developed what is called today the straight dynamite series, which is nothing more than nitro and a stabilizing agent. The most common straight dynamite formulas follow (nitroglycerin will be referred to as NG): [1> NG 32 [10> NG 26 sodium nitrate 28 potassium nitrate 33 woodmeal 10 woodmeal 41 ammonium oxalate 29 guncotton 1 [11> NG 15 sodium nitrate 62.9 [2> NG 24 woodmeal 21.2 potassium nitrate 9 sodium carbonate .9 sodium nitrate 56 woodmeal 9 [12> NG 35 ammonium oxalate 2 sodium nitrate 37 woodmeal 27 [3> NG 35.5 ammonium oxalate 1 potassium nitrate 44.5 woodmeal 6 [13> NG 32 guncotton 2.5 potassium nitrate 27 vaseline 5.5 woodmeal 10 powdered charcoal 6 ammonium oxalate 30 guncotton 1 [4> NG 25 potassium nitrate 26 [14> NG 33 woodmeal 34 woodmeal 10.3 barium nitrate 5 ammonium oxalate 29 starch 10 guncotton .7 potassium perchloride 27 [5> NG 57 potassium nitrate 19 [15> NG 40 woodmeal 9 sodium nitrate 45 ammonium oxalate 12 woodmeal 15 guncotton 3 [16> NG 47 [6> NG 18 starch 50 sodium nitrate 70 guncotton 3 woodmeal 5.5 potassium chloride 4.5 [17> NG 30 chalk 2 sodium nitrate 22.3 woodmeal 40.5 [7> NG 26 potassium chloride 7.2 woodmeal 40 barium nitrate 32 [18> NG 50 sodium carbonate 2 sodium nitrate 32.6 woodmeal 17 [8> NG 44 ammonium oxalate .4 woodmeal 12 anhydrous sodium sulfate 44 [19> NG 23 potassium nitrate 27.5 [9> NG 24 woodmeal 37 potassium nitrate 32.5 ammonium oxalate 8 woodmeal 33.5 barium nitrate 4 ammonium oxalate 10 calcium carbonate .5 The figures given in the right column are percentage parts, adding up to a sum of 100%. Percentage parts are always based on a weight ratio rather than volume. When preparing any high-explosive formulas, be sure you know what you are doing. Have the correct equipment, and the correct chemicals. Many of these chemicals are sold under brand names, which are more familiar than their chemical names, but, before assuming anything, read the ingredients, and take nothing for granted. These formulas listed above are for straight dynamite. Straight dynamite is a very primitive form of what we know today as dynamite. Later ammonium nitrate was added to the dynamite. This substance produced a greater explosive action, but less velocity. The intensification of the explosive action results because ammonium nitrate furnishes more oxygen for the dynamite. Ammonium nitrate has not only been used in dynamite, but also in many other different explosive compounds, including nitroglycerin, picric acid, and coal dust. Ammonium nitrate when mixed with these substances creates the cheapest form of high explosive known to man. **************************************************