Combustion of Nitrocellulose (Guncotton)

CCA! Volume 5

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Combustion of Nitrocellulose (Guncotton)

Cellulose burns slowly in a flame whereas nitrocellulose burns very rapidly.


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File: MOVIES/KJORGANIC/GUNCOTTON.MOV

Voiceover
A piece of cotton is placed in a flame. It burns slowly. (Cotton is composed of cellulose, a polysaccharide found in plants.) A piece of cotton that has been nitrated to form nitrocellulose flashes immediately and is totally consumed.

Discussion
Cotton is composed of cellulose, a polysaccharide found in plants. Nitrocellulose is made by treating cellulose with nitric acid. This introduces strongly oxidizing nitro groups into the molecule. Having fuel and oxidizer in the same molecule makes the nitrocellulose burn very rapidly.

Design, Text, and Demonstration:
	Kristin Johnson	University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706

Video production, editing, and voice:
	Jerrold J. Jacobsen	University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706
	Greg Minix	University of Wisconsin - Madison, College of Engineering, Madison, WI 53706
	Michael Killips	University of Wisconsin - Madison, School of Nursing, Madison, WI 53706