RogueRose
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Registered: 16-6-2014
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Nitrating cellulose - cotton and what else can be used?
I remember reading that sometimes saw dust or really small wood shavings have been nitrated - I don't think they were treated first other than drying.
I am wondering if maybe bleaching them first might be a better idea (IDK what to use, H2O2, bleach, NaOH). I've obviously seen posts about
nitrocellulose but those all seem to suggest using cotton balls which IMO is pricey in comparison to other forms of cotton available.
I can get 5lbs of NEW fine woven white 100% cotton tee shirt/underwear material for $1.00 ($2.00 if pieces are cuttings usually 8-24" x 30-36") but
they are Scraps and small pieces but not "trimmings". Trimmings could probably be had for free. Then there is cotton "batting" which is used a as
filler for coats, quilts and such. Cotton balls are like $2-3 for at most 4oz sothat is really expensive IMO
Here is a nice thick batting for $6 34" x 45" but thick & "fuzzy" (lots of surface area)
Other cotton options are bed sheet material, knit/polo shirts, dress/collard shirts, bath/beach/hand towels (terry cloth), denim/jeans?, khaki
pants/shorts, tee-shirts/under garments, sweat shirts. All of this could be gotten very inexpensively or even free in many cases if used
clothing/items would suffice.
If the material needs to be in a fluffy form I would suggest chopping it up into long strips and then bleaching till white (if that is necessary) then
washing and drying checking the lint trap every few minutes to remove cotton fibers. Maybe cutting in small squares would be better, IDK. Running
it in the dryer with no hear shouldn't be expensive and the result will be a very fluffy cotton. The squares should disintegrate pretty quickly and
maybe adding something inside to agitated would help.
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hissingnoise
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I'd be wary of modern cotton fabrics ─ they often contain synthetic fibres which would interfere with nitration.
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PHILOU Zrealone
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Lower purity cellulose or contaminated cellulose calls for process or storage unstability, decomposition, runnaway and finally fire or deflagration or
detonation.
---> Wood pulp is no go (protein containing cellulose (lignine)) , paper is not optimal, ...
Cellophane or viscose modified cellulose are unsuitable for nitration to NC.
PH Z (PHILOU Zrealone)
"Physic is all what never works; Chemistry is all what stinks and explodes!"-"Life that deadly disease, sexually transmitted."(W.Allen)
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