| (25 per cent. silica)| 2,940 | 80 | 1,468 | | | | | | |Gun-cotton, 1 | 2,650 | ... | ... | | | 2,060 | 90.5 | 1,450 | | | | | | |Ammonium nitrate | 1,130 | ... | ... | |__________________________|_____________|_____________|____
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Bellite is the patent of Mr Carl Lamm, Managing Director of the Roetebro Explosive Company, of Stockholm, and is licensed for manufacture in England.  It consists of a mixture of nitrate of ammonia with di- or tri-nitro-benzol, it has a specific gravity of 1.2 to 1.4 in its granulated state, and 1 litre weighs 800 to 875 grms.  Heated in an open vessel, bellite loses its consistency at 90 deg.  C., but does not commence to separate before a temperature of 200 deg.  C. is reached, when it evaporates without exploding.  If heated suddenly, it burns with a sooty flame, somewhat like tar, but if the source of heat is removed, it will cease burning, and assume a caramel-like structure.  It absorbs very little moisture from the air after it has been pressed, and if the operation has been performed while the explosive is hot, the subsequent increase of weight is only 2 per cent.  When subjected to the most powerful blow with a steel hammer upon an iron plate, it neither explodes nor ignites.  A rifle bullet fired into it at 50 yards’ distance will not explode it.  Granulated bellite explodes fully by the aid of fulminating mercury.  Fifteen grms. of bellite fired by means of fulminate, projected a shot from an ordinary mortar, weighing 90 lbs., a distance of 75 yards, 15 grms. of gunpowder, under the same conditions, throwing it only 12 yards.  A weight of 7-1/2 lbs. falling 145 centimetres failed to explode 1 grm. of bellite.

Various experiments and trials have been made with this explosive by Professor P.T.  Cleve, M.P.F.  Chalon, C.N.  Hake, and by a committee of officers of the Swedish Royal Artillery.  It is claimed that it is a very powerful and extremely safe explosive; that it cannot be made to explode by friction, shock, or pressure, nor by electricity, fire, lightning, &c., and that it is specially adapted for use in coal mines, &c.; that it can only be exploded by means of a fulminate detonator, and is perfectly safe to handle and manufacture; that it does not freeze, can be used as a filling for shells, and lastly, can be cheaply manufactured.

Securite consists of 26 parts of meta-di-nitro-benzol and 74 parts of ammonium nitrate.  It is a yellow powder, with an odour of nitro-benzol.  It was licensed in 1886.  It sometimes contains tri-nitro-benzol, and tri-nitro-naphthalene.  The equation of its combustion is given as

C_{6}H_{4}(NO_{2})_{2} + 10(NH_{4}NO_{3}) = 6CO_{2} + 22H_{2}O + 11N_{2}