Making Combustible Nitrocellulose Plastic

Comments · 244

• NI

  @Nighthawkinlight · 1 year ago

  I used to make nitrocellulose regularly with the nitrate/h2so4 method and cotton balls. It's best done in winter so you don't need an ice bath. Leave everything to react for 8-12hrs and it'll come out fully soluble. Neutralizing with ammonia is more effective than baking soda and easier to wash out.

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• GI

  @GigaChem · 1 year ago

  I love the new format when it comes to expressing concerns, having said every danger involved in the procedure is very helpfull and offers valuable information for any aspiring amateur chemist.

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• FO

  @FoxoBread · 1 year ago

  Good grief! The tales about projectionists being trapped in a flaming projection room is a truly terrifying thought.

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• EM

  @Emu0181 · 1 year ago (edited)

  Fun fact, projection booths at cinemas are still required to post "Safety film only" signs, even though nitrocellulose film hasn't been made since the 1950s and there are very few cinemas that even still use film of any variety in the past 10-15 years

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• MA

  @matti_o_l · 1 year ago

  The term shells dates the practice to the mid 19th century, but explosive projectiles were launched out of black powder powered artillery pieces much earlier. They were hollow spheres filled with black powder and had a fuse which was lit from the flash of the propelling charge. Sources vary from the late 14th century to the late 16th century as the first European experiments with mortar bombs as they were called then. This wide range perhaps reflects the difficulty of classifying historical texts and objects described in them.

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• CR

  @criticalthinkerAF · 1 year ago

  I worked at an old movie theater as a teen.  The projection room was entirely clad in metal inside.  The projectors used carbon arc light sources as well.  Nitrate film coupled with arc lights was pretty hazardous.

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• MA

  @manatoa1 · 1 year ago

  The finest era of fountain pen making used beautiful celluloid rods. They look, feel, and smell so much nicer than the plastics that came later.

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• BI

  @Bico-420 · 1 year ago

  you can watch your movies in 3D<br>thats insane<br>cellophane<br><br>- Stu

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• ST

  @stamasd8500 · 1 year ago

  One little talked about point in all the YT videos on NC is that it&apos;s inherently unstable over time. In the presence of air and moisture it decays with generation of nitric acid, and in extreme cases that can leas to autoignition. That is why single-base NC propellants fell out of favor around WWI as several accidents happened that led even to whole battleships exploding. Just washing it to remove all the initial acid isn&apos;t enough. Its stability can be improved by adding a small percentage of stabilizers that scavenge the produced acid, polyamines for instance (p-phenylenediamine is one). A cheap and easily available stabilizer is urea. After finishing washing the NC, soak it in a dilute solution of urea and let it dry without rinsing again, that will make it safer.

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• ST

  @stamasd8500 · 1 year ago

  The best NC lacquer I ever made was back when I was a graduate student. I was doing my research in a molecular biology lab and did a lot of DNA and RNA assays (Northern and Southern blots) on NC filters. There was a lot of filter waste, and also all the assay filters that didn&apos;t work or didn&apos;t produce results. I saved all of that and dropped then in a little bottle with acetone; they dissolved slowly over a few days, but completely - giving a viscous clear solution. That was a very good lacquer.

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• GR

  @gresvig2507 · 1 year ago

  Any synthesis that involves the word, &quot;slurry&quot; is a good one. No matter the results.

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• LI

  @LightningPyro · 1 year ago

  Your skill in chemistry never ceases to amaze me, I really wish I was in the position to be able to donate some money because I really enjoy your work and dedication. Hopefully I’ll be in a better spot financially when you get a patreon back 😅 take care man! Hope you had a great holiday.