hello, everyone.

a few days ago, i've synthesized NC (nitrocellulose), and today i've put the nitrated cotton balls into a glass jar, to store them. i also put the metal lid on it. now, a few hours after i put them into there, i opened it and smelled. there was that typical HNO3 / H2SO4 nitration mix smell... and this kinda worries my, why is that?

i've neutralized it with 100ml 5% NaHCO3 solution, and also washed it with cold tap water for about 5 minutes.

now, my questions are:

- is there a risk that the NC may detonate permaturely?

- is that HNO3 / H2SO4 smell a bad sign? or is it just because i've put it into the jar, and because of that the smell doesn't "go away" from the NC?

- is putting it into a glass jar with the lid on it a good storage method?

- how long can it be stored?

I've never made NC for lack of HNO3, but the stuff I got out of mis-fired shotgun shells smells like black pepper. It should be fine, as long as you've neutralized it like you said.

Cellulose nitrate is okay to store for a long time, if you're worried about it doing something annoying like spontaneously igniting then you can just moisten it with a spray bottle. It shouldn't ignite at all while moist.

1. No, not realy unless it has been nitrated over tri, or tetranitrate.

2. Yes thats not good,

3. No glass is not a good idea,

4. Long time,

~H

mmh, may you explain the first thing you said to me, please?

and why is glass not good?

[This message has been edited by FMShadow (edited 07-22-2003).]

Well depending on the time the NC has been nitrating, and the proportion of hno3 and h2so4; the NC can be nitrated to diferent degrees. There are 8 spots that can be nitrated, so NC can be as high as octanitrate or as low as mononitrate. Low nitrated NC has been used in clothing, mid range as smokeless powder and highly nitrated NC is an HE. When you get over 3 or 4 nitro groups on the NC it become less stable.

And well if something does happen, glass makes for a bad thing...

~H

If not working neutralized it with more sodium bicarbonate. Oh yea don't forget neutralize it with urea! yes it will get rid of the NO2 which will decompose your nitrocellulose. Wow my nitrocellulose made 8 months ago is still in good condition.

this sounds kinda weird, but i haven't got any urea... so, would urinating into a beaker and washing the NC with it do the trick?

by the way, i've used brainfever's synthesis (http://www.geocities.com/brainfevert/index6.html), which told me to use H2SO4 and KNO3, and let the cellulose nitrate for 10 minutes, just look at it.

then please, would someone tell me what kind of NC i've got?

and also, on one of my nitrated cotton balls, there is a yellowish spot, 2x2mm, or so... that's no problem, is it? i guess that spot is still a little bit acidic, right?