Although gun-cottons are generally spoken of as nitro-celluloses, they are more correctly described as cellulose nitrates, for unlike nitro bodies of other series, they do not yield, or have not yet done so, amido bodies, on reduction with nascent hydrogen.[A] The equation of the formation of gun-cotton is as follows:—­

2(C_{6}H_{10}O_{5}) + 6HNO_{3} = C_{12}H_{14}O_{4}(NO_{3})_{6} + 6OH_{2}. 
    Cellulose.  Nitric Acid.  Gun-Cotton.  Water.

The sulphuric acid used does not take part in the reaction, but its presence is absolutely essential to combine with the water set free, and thus to prevent the weakening of the nitric acid.  The acid mixture used at Waltham Abbey consists of 3 parts by weight of sulphuric acid of 1.84 specific gravity, and 1 part of nitric acid of 1.52 specific gravity.  The same mixture is also used at Stowmarket (the New Explosive Company’s Works).  The use of weaker acids results in the formation of collodion-cotton and the lower nitrates generally.

[Footnote A:  “Cellulose,” by Cross and Bevan, ed. by W.R.  Hodgkinson, p. 9.]

The nitrate which goes under the name of gun-cotton is generally supposed to be the hexa-nitrate, and to contain 14.14 per cent. of nitrogen; but a higher percentage than 13.7 has not been obtained from any sample.  It is almost impossible (at any rate upon the manufacturing scale) to make pure hexa-nitro-cellulose or gun-cotton; it is certain to contain several per cents. of the soluble forms, i.e., lower nitrates.  It often contains as much as 15 or 16 per cent., and only from 13.07[A] to 13.6 per cent. of nitrogen.

[Footnote A:  Mr J.J.  Sayers, in evidence before the court in the “Cordite Case,” says he found 15.2 and 16.1 per cent. soluble cotton, and 13.07 and 13.08 per cent. nitrogen in two samples of Waltham Abbey gun-cotton.]

A whole series of nitrates of cellulose are supposed to exist, the highest member being the hexa-nitrate, and the lowest the mono-nitrate.  Gun-cotton was at one time regarded as the tri-nitrate, and collodion-cotton as the di-nitrate and mono-nitrate, their respective formula being given as follows:—­

Mono-nitro-cellulose C_{6}H_{9}(NO_{2})O_{5}  =  6.763 per cent. nitrogen. 
Di-nitro-cellulose   C_{6}H_{8}(NO_{2})_{2}O_{5} = 11.11   "        "
Tri-nitro-cellulose  C_{6}H_{7}(NO_{2})_{3}O_{5} = 14.14   "        "

But gun-cotton is now regarded as the hexa-nitrate, and collodion-cotton as a mixture of all the other nitrates.  In fact, chemists are now more inclined to divide nitro-cellulose into the soluble and insoluble forms, the reason being that it is quite easy to make a nitro-cellulose entirely soluble in a mixture of ether-alcohol, and yet containing as high a percentage of nitrogen as 12.6; whereas the di-nitrate[A] should theoretically only contain 11.11 per cent.  On the other hand, it is not possible to make gun-cotton with a higher percentage of nitrogen than about 13.7, even when it does not contain any nitro-cotton that is soluble in ether-alcohol.[B] The fact is that it is not at present possible to make a nitro-cellulose which shall be either entirely soluble or entirely insoluble, or which will contain the theoretical content of nitrogen to suit any of the above formulae for the cellulose nitrates.  Prof.  G. Lunge gives the following list of nitration products of cellulose:—­