Show Swedish Chemist Nobel Discoverer of Dynamite In 1800 the Swedish chemist Nobel Nobel No No- bel bei dIscovered ered that when nitroglycerIn erIn was mixed with a white mineral mIneraI mineral min mIn- eral powder known as fullers fuller's earth eartha a n cheesy solid was formed which was as powerful an explosive e as nItroglycerIn but much less sensitive sensitive sensitive tive to shock He named this product product product prod prod- dynamite a name now generally generally generaU gener gener- aU ally applied to a number of mIxtures mixtures mIx mIx- tures of nitroglycerin with Inert solids A few years later Inter states a writer In the Chicago Tribune It was found that guncotton unlike cotton cotton cotton cot cot- ton dissolves es In certain solvents On evaporation e of or the solvent the guncotton first sets to n Jelly and finally to a a hard solid like loid hold When mixed with certain modifying Ing materials the Jelly can cnn be be molded Into grains of any desired desired de de- de sired size Knowing that nitroglycerin was Improved by soaking I It ii up In a solid and that guncotton was wag Improved improved Improved Im Im- im- im proved by softening It with a liquid lIquid liquid It occurred to Nobel during the ISSOs to use nitroglycerin as a solvent for gelatinizing guncotton The resulting material blasting gelatin gel elI el- el I atin aUn Is one of or the most powerful i explosives used In peace peace time acI ac- ac I tI I toluene By treating carbolic acid or toluene toluene tolu tolu- ene with the nitrating acid mixture mIxture mixture mix mIx- ture there are obtained respectively respective respective- ly picric acid and TNT |