Show concerning the high explosive is picric acid in a state picric aall was farst made in 1771 and was tor more than a century used as without its explosive qualities being even suspected if be created gently it may be poured from one vessel ta another with safety it heated over an intensely hot fire it chars blui a slight fizzle if pounded on an anvil there Is no ex when a detonator is exploded in contact with it the explosive force of la liberated this detonator is a sensitive body which explodes with great violence and in practice it is not placed in the shell until the gun Is about to be alred in malt ing carbolic acid and sulphuric acid are mixed in equal proportions and the temperature raised to the boiling point when nitric add Is allowed to flow into the mixture the yellow crystals which form in the bot torn of the vessel after cooling are pure picric add when it ia desired to make shells the picric acid crystals and the deml duld mass are poured in to the empty shell mining and scientific press |