Nitrostarch
Nitroalmidón
- Date
- c. 1833 · confidence medium
- Place
- Nancy, Grand Est, France
- Credited to
- Henri Braconnot
- Field
- Matter & energy
What it is
A secondary explosive obtained by nitrating starch (amylose and amylopectin), similar to nitrocellulose, whose stability and sensitivity depend on the degree of nitration; a product of Henri Braconnot's early research into nitrating plant fibers.
What it led to
- Contributed to the development of nitrocellulose-based explosives
- Later used as a substitute for nitrocellulose in some explosive formulations
- Advanced the chemistry of polysaccharide nitration