Tonite is an explosive[1] sometimes used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It consists of a mixture of equal weights of barium nitrate and guncotton.[2] The explosive was patented in 1874[3] by Messrs Trench, Faure, and Mackie.[4] The high gas pressures generated by detonation of tonite resulted in it being used as a bursting charge for some early hand grenades used in World War I. Its name was taken from the Latin verb tonat = "it thunders", and is pronounced "toe-nite" and not as "tonight".

Nitrocellulose is an oxygen-negative low explosive, so its decomposition is incomplete combustion:

Since nitrocellulose was used in mining the carbon monoxide could build up and pose a danger to miners. To remedy this problem, nitrates (potassium nitrate, barium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, etc.) were added into the nitrocellulose to allow for complete combustion.

References

  1. ^ Reed Business Information (12 April 1973). New Scientist. Reed Business Information. pp. 112–. ISSN 0262-4079. ((cite book)): |author= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ William Gardner; Edward I. Cooke; Richard W.I. Cooke (23 July 2019). Handbook of Chemical Synonyms and Trade Names. CRC Press. pp. 1442–. ISBN 978-1-351-08978-4.
  3. ^ Robert Trotter (1938). The history of Nobel's Explosives Company Limited and Nobel Industries Limited, 1871-1926. Imperial Chemical Industries Limited.
  4. ^ "Improvement in explosive compounds". Retrieved 3 February 2016.


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