Safe Enough to Kill: Advances in the Chemistry of Explosives | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Safe Enough to Kill: Advances in the Chemistry of Explosives

Overview

Warfare took a deadly step forward with the invention and development of powerful explosives in the nineteenth century. Guncotton and a safer explosive, cordite, supplied a "smokeless" propellant that made the battlefield visible. Big explosions became more practical when Alfred Nobel stabilized nitroglycerin by converting it todynamite. But while mass destruction was made easier, so was mining, the drilling of oil wells, and reshaping the land for roads, railroads, and construction. The understanding of nitrogen chemistry that came from research into explosives built a basis for creating new fertilizers and medicines. While Nobel's hope that dynamite would end war by making it too horrible to engage in was proven wrong, his prizes have provided the twentieth century's most visible recognition for contributions to peace, as well as to science and literature.

Background

Explosives research emerged from advances in the general understanding of chemistry. Scientists such as Jöns Berzelius (1779-1848) were eager to figure out how new materials might be created by combining familiar materials. In fact, Berzelius, who discovered three elements, began the practice of using compact symbols for elements, so that familiar formulations such as H₂O for water and C₆H₁₂O₆ for glucose.

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