se
nitrates. One of these has been recently disclosed, and as the results
involve chemical and technical points of novelty, which are dealt with
in a scientific communication, we reproduce the paper in question,
viz.:--

A RE-INVESTIGATION OF THE CELLULOSE NITRATES.

A. LUCK and C. F. CROSS (J. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1900).

The starting-point of these investigations was a study of the nitrates
obtained from the structureless cellulose obtained from the
sulphocarbonate (viscose). This cellulose in the form of a fine meal was
treated under identical conditions with a sample of pure cotton
cellulose, viz. digested for 24 hours in an acid mixture containing in
100 parts HNO_{3}--24 : H_{2}SO_{4}--70 : H_{2}O--6: the proportion of
acid to cellulose being 60 : 1--. After careful purification the
products were analysed with the following results:

Soluble in
Nitrogen Ether alcohol

Fibrous nitrate 13.31 4.3 p.ct.
Structureless nitrate 13.35 5.6 "

Examined by the 'heat test' (at 80 deg.) and the 'stability test' (at 135 deg.)
they exhibited the usual instability, and in equal degrees. Nor were the
tests affected by exhaustive treatment with ether, benzene, and alcohol.
From this it appears that the process of solution as sulphocarbonate and
regeneration of the cellulose, though it eliminates certain constituents
of an ordinary bleached cellulose, which might be expected to cause
instability, has really no effect in this direction. It also appears
that instability may be due to by-products of the esterification process
derived from the cellulose itself.

The investigation was then extended to liquids having a direct solvent
action on these higher nitrates, more especially acetone. It was
necessary, however, to avoid this solvent action proper, and having
observed that dilution with water in increasing proportions produced a
graduated succession of physical changes in the fibrous ester, we
carried out a series of treatments with such diluted acetones.
Quantities of the sample (A), purified as described, but still unstable,
were treated each with five successive changes of the particular liquid,
afterwards carefully freed from the acetone and dried at 40 deg.C. The
products, which were found to be more or less disintegrated, were then
tested by the ordinary heat test, stability test, and explosion test,
with the results shown in the tab