Читать книгу Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise - P. Gerald Sanford - Страница 27

I am not aware that this modification of the process of nitration is in use at the present time.

The newly made charge of nitro-glycerine, upon leaving the nitrating house, flows away down the conduit, either made of rubber pipes, or better still, of woodwork, lined with lead and covered with lids made of wood (in short lengths), in order that by lifting them at any point the condition of the conduit can be examined, as this is of the greatest importance, and the conduit requires to be frequently washed out and the sulphate of lead removed. This sulphate always contains nitro-glycerine, and should therefore be burnt in some spot far removed from any danger building or magazine, as it frequently explodes with considerable violence.

[Illustration: FIG. 6.—SMALL NITRATOR. N, Tap for Discharging; P, Water Pipes; T, Thermometer; W, Windows; P', Glycerine Pipe.]

In works where the manufacture of nitro-glycerine is of secondary importance, and some explosive containing only perhaps 10 per cent. of nitroglycerine is manufactured, and where 50 or 100 lbs. of glycerine are nitrated at one time, a very much smaller nitrating apparatus than the one that has been already described will be probably all that is required. In this case the form of apparatus shown in Fig. 6 will be found very satisfactory. It should be made of stout lead (all lead used for tanks, &c., must be "chemical lead"), and may be made to hold 50 or 100 lbs. as found most convenient. This nitrator can very well be placed in the same house as the separator; in fact, where such a small quantity of nitro- glycerine is required, the whole series of operations, nitrating, separation, and washing, &c., may very well be performed in the same building. It will of course be necessary to place the nitrator on a higher level than the separator, but this can easily be done by having platforms of different heights, the nitration being performed upon the highest. The construction of this nitrator is essentially the same as in the larger one, the shape only being somewhat different. Two water coils will probably be enough, and one thermometer. It will not be necessary to cover this form in with woodwork.