Comparative analysis of volumetric and instrumental method for determination of nitroglycerin content in gunpowder

Abstract

The major energy components of double-based gunpowder are nitrocellulose (NC) and nitroglycerin (NG). In double-based gunpowder NG is used as a plasticizer and, at the same time, as an energetic component. Since the amount of NG in the gunpowder strongly influences and affects its chemical and mechanical properties or/and characteristics, the study of NG content is of great importance. The aim of this paper is to compare the analytical performances of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and classic analytical volumetric method for the separation and qualitative determination of nitroglycerine in smokeless gunpowder.