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Nitrocellulose
by Jaycub on January 19, 2010 Table of Contents License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: Nitrocellulose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 1: Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 2: Make the Nitrating solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 3: Perform the nitration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 4: Clean and dry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 2 3 4 4 6 6 6

http://www.instructables.com/id/Nitrocellulose/

License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) Intro: Nitrocellulose

This instructable shows an easy way to make nitrocellulose (also known as gun cotton). Nitrocellulose is a fun compound that is safe to handle, burns very fast, and can be used in explosive mixtures like smokeless powder and APNC (acetone peroxide and nitrocellulose), and in fuses, rockets, whatever you can think of. This isn't the best way to make nitrocellulose. If you want super good nitrocellulose mix concentrated sulfuic acid with concentrated nitric acid 2 to 1 by volume, cool the solution to below 25 degrees F (ice and salt works), then slowly add cotton and let it soak for 12 to 24 hours while keeping the ice fresh. Then clean it with cold water (no baking soda) until there is no acid left. Nitrocellulose made this way can be detonated by hitting a pinch of it with a hammer. Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPQxNtG0lYQ My nitrocellulose burning (not as good as the batch in the Instructable) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYPFHhhgbMw Some APNC I made from this and TATP. It will easily detonate unconfined with just heat.

Image Notes 1. It works! (this is only a little)

step 1: Materials
You will need: -Potassium nitrate (or another nitrate salt) -mortar and pestel -a glass cup -2 containers for water baths -baking soda (already disolved in water in picture) -pliers -cotton balls -sulfuric acid (mine is drain cleaner) -Glass stirring thing (mine is part of a broken jar)

Image Notes 1. Cotton balls

Image Notes 1. Sulfuric acid

http://www.instructables.com/id/Nitrocellulose/

2. Pliers 3. Glass cup 4. Cup for waterbath 5. Cup for water and baking soda bath 6. Potassium Nitrate 7. Mortar and pestel

step 2: Make the Nitrating solution

Pour some of the potassium nitrate into the mortar and pestel and grind it to a fine powder. Next pour an amount of sulfuric acid (a little more than a cotton ball could absorb) into the glass cup. Mix the powdered potassium nitrate into the sulfuric acid a little at a time until it is very cloudy and almost thick with the nitrate. Do this in a well ventilated area because it will form a fuming mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids. According to Powerlabs, if you want to make cellulose hexanitrate, a very high energy explosive that is about 1.2-1.5 times as strong as TNT when detonated and has a VoD of ~7300m/s then the proportion of sulfuric acid to kno3 should be 1 gram kno3 to 3.819ml (or 3.325 grams) of sulfuric acid.

Image Notes 1. KNO3 prills

Image Notes 1. Finely powdered

Image Notes 1. The acid

http://www.instructables.com/id/Nitrocellulose/

Image Notes 1. The finished solution. I'm not sure why mine is pink but it turned clear later.

step 3: Perform the nitration

Using the pliers, put a cotton ball into the nitrating solution. Poke it a little with the glass stirring thing to get it to soak up the solution. Now just leave it for a while. I let it sit for about an hour and a half, and it could have gone a little longer. Also make sure it doesn't get to cold or it will take a long time, but nitration is more complete when cold. Since it was like 40 degrees F when I did this my portable heater/ventalation system was set on warm. This has never happened to me, but if it starts putting out a brown gas throw it into water and start over. That means it is doing "runnaway nitration".

step 4: Clean and dry

While you're waiting, put water in your 2 containers, and dissolve some baking soda into one of them. After you think it has nitrated long enough, pull the cotton ball out of the glass cup and rinse it in the water bath. Then move it to the baking soda bath and nudge it around while the acid is neutralized by the baking soda. When the bubbling slows, replace the water in the plane water bath and rinse it again. Then put it back into the baking soda one and gently move it around until the bubbling completely stops. Then replace the water in the other cup again and rinse it one last time. (Note, I have read that the baking soda washing will partialy decompose the nitrocellulose, so a better cleaning option is to boil it in distilled water and rinse it a lot). Squeeze the water out of it and fluff it back up into cotton form by gently pulling at it. To speed the drying, press it firmly between two folded halves of a towel (or your shirt). Then fluff it up again and let it dry thoroughly. After that you are done.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Nitrocellulose/

Image Notes 1. Neutralizing the acid

Image Notes 1. Squeeze out the water

Image Notes 1. Drying

Image Notes 1. It works! (this is only a little)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Nitrocellulose/

Related Instructables

Make Nitric acid - The Complete Guide (video) by NurdRage

Demonstrating Nitric Acid Acts Upon A Copper Make Strontium Make Sulfuric Test Tree Stump Penny acid Remover for Nitrate (video) by Experiment (metabisulfite/oxidizer chlorates, NurdRage (video) by method) (video) nitrates or kentchemistry.com metabisulfites by NurdRage (video) by NurdRage

How to Test if Fertilizer Has Nitrates in it (video) by NurdRage

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Comments
22 comments Add Comment

Dr KAZ says:

Sep 3, 2010. 9:11 AM REPLY You could skip the baking soda step and just wash with three portions of water, followed by three portions of methylated spirits (denatured alcohol) to speed up removal of the water. Made a batch today - the spirits (which had a purple dye in it) gave the nitrocellulose a blue tint. It almost looked like cotton candy.

Jaycub says:

Sep 3, 2010. 4:30 PM REPLY Yeah I don't use this process anymore. When I clean it I just use runnung water, and I use pure-ish nitric acid instead of a nitrate salt in the nitration since I got retort. Also an ice bath and a long (12-24 hour) nitration can greatly improve the quality. How did your "cotton candy" work? Did you follow the instructable or did you use a better method?

Dr KAZ says:

Sep 3, 2010. 11:50 PM REPLY The kids loved it (as did my inner pyromaniac). I normally use concentrated nitric and sulphuric acid and agitate at 0C for as long as possible. Yesterday's was only 4 hours and I used (approximately) the nitrating mix you suggested in the instructable.

Jamie bagn says:

where did you get your Potassium nitrate from and how much was it

Jan 21, 2010. 4:54 AM REPLY

Nyxius says:
Typically it is the primary non-dynamite form of stump remover 8-)

Mar 26, 2010. 6:07 PM REPLY

Jaycub says:

Jan 21, 2010. 3:08 PM REPLY I got it at a store called "the country store" which is loke a co-op. It costed a couple dollars, not sure exactly how much but it wasn't expensive. You also can get it out of fertile dirt like compost. Just put the dirt into warm water to dissolve the potassium nitrate, filter out the solids untill the water is clear, and boil off the water (or let it evaporate).

lug big lug says:

Feb 17, 2010. 5:32 PM REPLY That explains that method alot better than the Anarchists Cookbook by RFlagg... Our local Ace has some spectrum that I tried to refine, but I couldn't get the water to boil..... it didnt work so well. But the acid might also break down the other components in the stump remover so it is like refining it. I tried this way and i really liked it... i am going to use the APNC version of this to make flash-bangs for paintball and practical jokes.... (instructible coming soon), but I will reference this instructible in it. This made it really easy for me. Thanks and we will be in touch.

Jaycub says:

Feb 18, 2010. 3:09 PM REPLY OK but be careful with the APNC, it is a powerful explosive. I hope you know what you are doing when you make a practical joke out of it.

lug big lug says:

Feb 19, 2010. 4:17 AM REPLY I know explosives very well. I will only be using pea sized amounts that are attached to larger amounts of nitrocellulose that is exposed and not placed in any closed container....

Nyxius says:

Mar 26, 2010. 6:10 PM REPLY Try using the apnc as your detonator cap and surrounding it with a naptha smoke charge. Makes a ton of smoke. Used typically in the movies.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Nitrocellulose/

Nyxius says:

Mar 26, 2010. 6:13 PM REPLY NC itself is stable and relatively safe especially when wet, but in larger quantities is very dangerous. It is classified as a high explosive and was used in WWII as a rocket propellant. It doesn't take much of a overpressure shock wave to crush a human skull and the classification as a HE means that NC is good at making shock waves.

Jaycub says:
You can detonate NC with a hammer even in small amounts.

Jul 1, 2010. 3:22 PM REPLY

Jaycub says:

Feb 19, 2010. 3:48 PM REPLY That's good. By the way, do you have a youtube account with the name plug jug jim? Because there is someone who does that is asking me about flash powder a lot.

lug big lug says:

no my name is lugbiglug on everything srry

Feb 20, 2010. 8:31 PM REPLY

Jaycub says:
Over a thousand views, YAY!

Mar 1, 2010. 7:01 PM REPLY

lug big lug says:

Feb 16, 2010. 4:16 AM REPLY I am no trying to be critical, but stump remover is not pure Kno3, you have to refine it for it to be pure.... it is only partly Kno3. But this is very simple and I like it.

Jaycub says:

Feb 16, 2010. 8:54 AM REPLY No not quite pure but it's pretty close. In all my gunpowder and flash powders and stuff that requires kno3 I just use powdered "grants stump remover" an it doesn't seem to reduce the power of these mixtres at all. My guess is that it's probably more than 95% pure. I have recrystalized it before and it didn't help anything.

lug big lug says:

Feb 16, 2010. 12:44 PM REPLY Now i didnt know that and I am going to try it with both ammonium nitrate ( the purest form of nitrate I have) and stump remover by itself. Thank you and I will be in touch referring to other projects off of this one.

Jaycub says:

Feb 17, 2010. 4:05 PM REPLY Allright cool. Also you might want to know that nitrocellulose that I made using nitric acid (distilled from a nitrate salt and sulfuric acid mix) and sulfuric acid was a lot more powerful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioWN3RBAfh4

firefreak says:
very nice

Jan 20, 2010. 3:52 PM REPLY

Jaycub says:
Thx, are you going to make it?

Jan 20, 2010. 4:10 PM REPLY

firefreak says:
almost definitely

Jan 21, 2010. 10:00 AM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/Nitrocellulose/