n.a very
volatile dynamite.
Dynamite is an explosive made from an oily liquid called
nitroglycerin. This liquid is highly sensitive to jolts, shocks and friction and likely to explode if treated improperly. To lessen this sensitivity and the dangers connected with it,
nitroglycerin is mixed with an absorbent substance, such as sawdust or wood
pulp, and thus made safe for
handling, transporting, etc. This mixture is called
dynamite and can be detonated by
heat (
fire) or percussion (
sharp impact). The very first
dynamite was 75 percent
nitroglycerin and 25 percent absorbent material, but later with other chemical improvements to the mixture the percentages varied, such as 40 to 60. A 90 percent mixture of
dynamite would only have 10 percent absorbent material and would only be slightly more stable than
straight nitroglycerine, so would need careful
handling.