Dynamite: creation history, description and classification. “King of Dynamite”, engineer and playwright: what is famous for Alfred Nobel

Debts for inventions that did not justify themselves, the perseverance of creditors, and the fire that destroyed the home of Swede Emmanuel Nobel forced his family to leave Stockholm. The Nobeli refuge was found in St. Petersburg in 1837. The city on the Neva welcomed the family, offered it a new life and new perspectives.

In the Russian capital, the Nobels launched the production of sea mines and lathes, and when they finally got on their feet, they decided to send their son Alfred to study abroad. The 16-year-old man traveled almost throughout Europe until he was in Paris. There he met the Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero, the man who discovered nitroglycerin.

Alfred was warned: nitroglycerin is a dangerous substance, it can explode at any time. But the young man seemed to only be encouraged. He wanted to learn how to manage explosive energy, to find useful use for it. Moreover, the Crimean War (1853-1856), which enriched the Nobel family, had by then ended.

Enterprises that took over the state’s military orders suffered losses, and Alfred’s relatives risked being left out of work again. The filial duty and ambition of the young scientist motivated him to move forward, and in 1863 his work was rewarded. Alfred invented detonator with explosive mercury. Contemporaries considered Nobel’s achievement the largest since the discovery of gunpowder, but this was only the beginning of his journey.

According to the professor of the Mining Institute NITU "MISiS", president of the National Organization of Explosive Engineers Vladimir Belin, "the Nobel detonator is still functionally and in its layout is not very different from the modern one."

Alfred Nobel
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“In the case of powder charges, the person who sets them on fire is in close proximity. With the help of a detonator, it can be beyond the scope of a possible defeat, Belin said in an interview with RT. “We must not forget that Alfred Nobel was a businessman.” He delayed the development of other industrial explosives (BB) for 20 years. Nobel bought a patent for ammonium nitrate explosives, which were not as effective as dynamite, but less dangerous. But in any case, all the bombers in the world honor the memory of Nobel, consider him the founder of modern explosive affairs. "

After some time, the young scientist left St. Petersburg and returned to his native Sweden, where he continued experiments with nitroglycerin and founded a workshop that changed the life of the family forever.

On September 3, 1864, an explosion occurred in the Nobel workshop. Alfred knew about the dangers of nitroglycerin, more than once witnessed explosions and accidents, but never before failed experiments did not bring him so much pain. One of the victims was his 20-year-old brother Emil. The news of the death of his son shocked Emmanuel Nobel, he survived a stroke and remained bedridden forever. Albert also grieved for a long time, but the pain of loss did not break him, and he continued his research.

By chance

In a short time, Nobel managed to find investors who agreed to sponsor his research. Nitroglycerin factories began to appear in different cities. But every now and then in them there were explosions that cost the workers life. More often, vehicles carrying flasks of chemical substances flew into the air. The stories were overgrown with details, rumors appeared that created the basis for speculation and panic. Ultimately, Alfred's intervention was required. Following all the stages of nitroglycerin production, he developed a list of rules that helped to secure the process of obtaining the substance and its transportation.

In the liquid state, nitroglycerin was still extremely dangerous. Shaking, improper storage or transportation at any time could lead to an explosion. Given the specifics of the substance, Nobel went on a trick: he began to add methyl alcohol to it, so that nitroglycerin ceased to be explosive. But where one door opened, another closed. Returning explosive power to nitroglycerin was almost as difficult and dangerous. The process of distilling alcohol from nitroglycerin could cause an explosion. Trying to make the substance solid, Nobel came to a revolutionary solution, which led to the creation of dynamite.

Paper, brick dust, cement, chalk, even sawdust - mixing nitroglycerin with these materials did not give the desired results. Kieselguhr, or, as it is also called, "mountain flour", became the solution to the problem. This is a rock-like rock that can be found at the bottom of reservoirs. Lightweight, pliable, accessible material was the answer to all Alfred's questions.

According to one of the legends that gained popularity during the life of Nobel, the idea of \u200b\u200busing kieselguhr visited him quite by accident. During the transportation of nitroglycerin, one of the bottles cracked, and its contents spilled onto a package made of kieselguhr cardboard. Nobel tested the resulting mixture for explosiveness. All tests were passed successfully: the mixture turned out to be safer than gunpowder and five times more powerful than it, for which it got its name - dynamite (from the ancient Greek “force”). The name contributed to the commercial success of the invention: firstly, it was possible to avoid mentioning nitroglycerin that scared the whole world, and secondly, to pay attention to the huge power of the explosive novelty.

On the wave of success

The pace of production of dynamite grew steadily, and over the next eight years, Alfred opened 17 plants. Nobel explosives helped complete work on the 15-kilometer Gotthard Tunnel in the Alps and the Corinth Canal in Greece. Dynamite was also used in the construction of over 300 bridges and 80 tunnels. But soon, the founder of the business empire began to have competitors, which made Nobel think about upgrading explosives.

Gotthard Tunnel in the Alps
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Dynamite was weaker than pure nitroglycerin, it was difficult to use it under water, and during long-term storage it lost its properties. Then Alfred came up with a new idea - according to legend, again completely by accident. During the experiments, he cut his finger with a glass of a broken bulb. He treated the wound with collodion - a thick sticky solution that, when dried, forms a thin film. Nobel suggested that this substance mixes well with nitroglycerin. And he was right. The next day he built a new explosive - "explosive jelly", later called the most advanced dynamite.

The transience of ages

In the 19th century, Alfred Nobel's invention revolutionized the mining industry. According to Belin, extracting minerals using powder charges was problematic and, most importantly, unsafe. Dynamite, which replaced powder, has been used for decades. But at some point, he began to become obsolete and replaced with more advanced technologies.

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“In the Russian Federation, dynamite is not used because of the danger of storage, transportation and use. Today, the world works on ammonium nitrate explosives and the so-called emulsion explosives, which have a guaranteed and adjustable period of explosive characteristics. With their help, you can make, for example, so that the charge was dangerous for a week. After a certain period of time, its combat properties disappear, Belin said, “and not an explosive substance is transported, but an emulsion matrix.” Explosive characteristics are acquired after loading into wells, chambers, holes, etc. ”

Dynamite was sometimes used in military affairs, but reluctantly and with caution. The blame for the sensitivity of explosives: it could easily explode if stored improperly, through a bullet or in an artillery shell.

The editor-in-chief of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, reserve colonel Viktor Murakhovsky, said in an interview with RT that dynamite was practically not used as ammunition.

“An element such as TNT and explosives based on it appeared quite quickly. But for military purposes, dynamite was not very convenient, said Murakhovsky. - During the war, it was used only at the stages of engineering work: during the construction of fortifications or, conversely, in the clearing of territories. It is known as an industrial explosive, and not as a military one. ”

In some countries, dynamite is still produced in limited quantities to this day. It is produced, for example, in Finland and the USA. In the United States, only one company is involved in production. Dynamite, as a rule, is produced in the form of "cartridges" of various sizes, filled with plastic or powder explosives. Dynamite is still used in mining or in demolition of buildings.

Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833-1896)

The word dynamite in Greek means "strength." This explosive, which consists of nitroglycerin, potassium or sodium nitrate and wood flour, depending on the volume can smash a car, a house, destroy a rock. Dynamite was invented by the Swedish chemical engineer Alfred Nobel, who patented it in 1867 and proposed to use it for tunneling. This invention glorified Nobel all over the world, brought him tremendous income. In 1895, he made a will, according to which most of his capital went to prizes for outstanding achievements in chemistry, physics, medicine, literature and peace.

In 1842, his youngest son, 9-year-old Alfred, came to Stockholm from Sweden to the Swedish owner of a steam engine company in Russia, Emanuel Nobel, from Stockholm. He was assigned to a private school. Alfred studied well, was interested in chemistry and physics, and spent all his free time at his father's company. When he was 17 years old, he was sent to study in Germany. Father wanted his youngest son to learn the basics of chemistry and physics at German universities. After Germany, Alfred trained in Paris, then left for the USA, where he worked at the factory of the famous inventor of Swedish origin John Erickson, got acquainted with the production of steam engines and steamboats.

Nobel returned to St. Petersburg in 1853 and began working in the company of his father, who at that time specialized in the production of ammunition - Russia waged a difficult Crimean War (1853-1856). After the war, the demand for military products subsided, there were few orders for parts for the steamers that they manufactured before the war, and Alfred returned with his parents to his homeland in Stockholm. He spent all his free time in a small laboratory, which his father made for him. There he experimented with chemicals. He was interested in the explosions. He tried to tame nitroglycerin, made a special detonator for him.

As a result of numerous experiments, the detonator turned out to be a small metal capsule filled with mercury. From the combination of nitroglycerin and various organic substances, Nobel received an explosive, which he called dynamite. The discovery was made. Nobel patented it in 1867 and immediately offered the Swedish Railways Board to use explosives for tunneling. Given the natural conditions of the country, its mountainous terrain, this was very important.

Dynamite immediately showed its excellent punching properties. Directed explosions allowed to lay in the Alps under Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in Western Europe, 4808 m), an automobile tunnel 11.6 kilometers long, to clear the Danube, to lay the Corinth Canal in Greece, to remove underwater cliffs in the East River shipping channel in New York .

With the help of dynamite, drilling operations were carried out at the Baku oil fields, where two of Nobel's older brothers worked, who were called “Russian Rockefellers” for the money they earned.

Dynamite enterprises were built in Europe and overseas. Nobel himself owned 20 such manufactories. But dynamite began to be actively used not only for engineering structures, but also in military affairs. Nobel made a significant fortune on all this.

In 1873, Nobel left for Paris, where he had a small chemical laboratory, and from there he led his companies. In the late 1880s, he patented a new, more powerful explosive - smokeless powder, which was called "ballistite." He sold his patent to the Italian government, and immediately he had a conflict with the French government. He was accused of fraud, a search was made in the laboratory. Outraged by these actions, Alfred left France in 1891 and moved to San Remo in the Italian Riviera.

Nobel was never married, lived a hermit, in everyday life remained unpretentious, spoke fluent French, German, Russian and English, sought a quiet life, world fame burdened him. Among the orange trees of his villa, he created a new chemical laboratory. Soon he began to suffer from pain in his heart, he felt general tiredness, he developed angina pectoris. Nobel died of a brain hemorrhage.

In 1888, reporters from a French newspaper mistakenly published a message about Nobel’s death. He was called the "millionaire in the blood," "the merchant of death," the "dynamite king." This made a strong impression on the businessman, he did not want to remain in the memory of mankind as a "villain of a world scale." On November 27, 1895, at the Swedish-Norwegian club in Paris, Nobel signed a will, according to which most of his fortune was to go to the establishment of international awards for achievements in the main branches of science, literature, and for activities to strengthen peace.

For several centuries, people knew only one explosive - black powder, which was widely used both in war and in peaceful explosive work. But the second half of the 19th century was marked by the invention of a whole family of new explosives, the destructive power of which was hundreds and thousands of times greater than the power of gunpowder.

Their creation was preceded by several discoveries. As early as 1838, Peluse conducted the first experiments on the nitration of organic substances. The essence of this reaction is that many carbon substances, when they are treated with a mixture of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids, give up their hydrogen, take the nitro group NO2 in return, and turn into powerful explosives.

Other chemists have investigated this interesting phenomenon. In particular, Schonbein, nitriding cotton, in 1846 received pyroxylin. In 1847, acting in a similar way on glycerin, Sobrero discovered nitroglycerin - an explosive substance that possessed tremendous destructive power. At first, nitroglycerin did not interest anyone. Only 13 years later, Sobrero himself returned to his experiments and described the exact method of nitration of glycerol.

After that, the new substance found some application in mining. Initially, it was poured into a well, plugged with clay and blown up by means of a cartridge immersed in it. However, the best effect was achieved when igniting a capsule with explosive mercury.

What explains the exceptional explosive power of nitroglycerin? It was found that the explosion decomposes, resulting in the first formation of gases CO2, CO, H2, CH4, N2 and NO, which again interact with each other with the release of a huge amount of heat. The final reaction can be expressed by the formula: 2C3H5 (NO3) 3 \u003d 6CO2 + 5H2O + 3N + 0, 5O2.

Heated to a huge temperature, these gases are rapidly expanding, exerting tremendous pressure on the environment. The end products of the explosion are completely harmless. All this seemed to make nitroglycerin indispensable in underground blasting. But it soon turned out that the manufacture, storage and transportation of this liquid explosive is fraught with many dangers.

In general, pure nitroglycerin is quite difficult to ignite from open flames. A lit match was rotten in it without any consequences. But on the other hand, its sensitivity to shock and shock (detonation) was many times higher than that of black powder. Upon impact, often very minor, in the layers subjected to concussion, a rapid increase in temperature occurred before the onset of an explosive reaction. The mini-explosion of the first layers produced a new blow to the deeper layers, and this continued until an explosion of the entire mass of the substance occurred.

Sometimes, without any external influence, nitroglycerin suddenly began to decompose into organic acids, it quickly darkened, and then the most insignificant shake of the bottle was enough to cause a terrible explosion. After a series of accidents, the use of nitroglycerin was almost universally prohibited. Those industrialists who launched the production of this explosive had two options: either find a state in which nitroglycerin is less sensitive to detonation, or curtail their production.

One of the first to be interested in nitroglycerin was the Swedish engineer Alfred Nobel, who founded the plant for its production. In 1864, his factory flew into the air with the workers. Five people were killed, including Alfred’s brother Emil, who was barely 20 years old. After this disaster, Nobel faced significant losses - it was not easy to convince people to invest in such a dangerous enterprise.

For several years he studied the properties of nitroglycerin and in the end managed to establish its completely safe production. But the transportation problem remained. After many experiments, Nobel found that nitroglycerin dissolved in alcohol is less sensitive to detonation. However, this method did not give complete reliability. The search continued, and here an unexpected incident helped brilliantly solve the problem.

When transporting bottles with nitroglycerin to soften the shaking, they were placed in kieselguhr, a special infusorian soil that was mined in Hanover. Kieselguhr consisted of flint shells of algae with many cavities and tubules. And once, once shipped, one bottle of nitroglycerin broke, and its contents spilled onto the ground. Nobel had the idea to make several experiments with this kieselguhr soaked in nitroglycerin.

It turned out that the explosive properties of nitroglycerin did not decrease at all from the fact that it was absorbed by porous earth, but its sensitivity to detonation decreased several times. In this state, he did not explode either from friction, or from a weak blow, or from burning. But on the other hand, when a small amount of explosive mercury was ignited in a metal capsule, an explosion of the same strength as pure nitroglycerin gave in the same volume. In other words, this was just what was needed, and even much more than what Nobel hoped to get. In 1867, he took a patent for the compound he discovered, which he called dynamite.

The explosive power of dynamite is as huge as that of nitroglycerin: 1 kg of dynamite in 1/50000 seconds develops a force of 1,000,000 kgm, that is, sufficient to raise 1,000,000 kg by 1 m. Moreover, if 1 kg of black powder turned into gas for 0, 01 seconds, then 1 kg of dynamite - for 0, 00002 seconds. But with all this, well-made dynamite exploded only from a very strong blow. Lighted by the touch of fire, it gradually burned out without explosion, with a bluish flame.

An explosion occurred only when a large mass of dynamite was ignited (more than 25 kg). Dynamite, like nitroglycerin, was best detonated by detonation. For this purpose, in the same 1867, Nobel invented an explosive capsule detonator. Dynamite immediately found the broadest application in the construction of highways, tunnels, canals, railways and other objects, which largely predetermined the rapid growth of the state of its inventor. Nobel founded the first dynamite factory in France, then he set up its production in Germany and England. For thirty years, dynamite trade brought Nobel tremendous wealth - about 35 million crowns.

The manufacturing process of dynamite was reduced to several operations. First of all, it was necessary to obtain nitroglycerin. This was the most difficult and dangerous moment in the entire production. The nitration reaction occurred if 1 part of glycerol was treated with three parts of concentrated nitric acid in the presence of 6 parts of concentrated sulfuric acid. The equation was as follows: C3H5 (OH) 3 + 3HNO3 \u003d C3H5 (NO3) 3 + 3H2O.

Sulfuric acid was not involved in the compound, but its presence was necessary, firstly, to absorb the water released as a result of the reaction, which, otherwise, diluting nitric acid would thereby impede the completeness of the reaction, and secondly, to isolate the nitroglycerin from a solution in nitric acid, since it, being well soluble in this acid, did not dissolve in its mixture with sulfuric acid.

Nitration was accompanied by a strong release of heat. Moreover, if, due to heating, the temperature of the mixture rose above 50 degrees, then the reaction would go in the opposite direction - oxidation of nitroglycerin would begin, accompanied by rapid evolution of nitrogen oxides and even more heating, which would lead to an explosion.

Therefore, nitration had to be carried out with constant cooling of the mixture of acids and glycerol, adding the last little by little and constantly stirring each portion. Nitroglycerin formed directly in contact with acids, having a lower density compared to the acidic mixture, floated to the surface, and it could be easily collected at the end of the reaction.

The preparation of the acid mixture at the Nobel factories took place in large cylindrical cast-iron vessels, from where the mixture entered the so-called nitration apparatus. In such an installation, about 150 kg of glycerol could be processed at a time. After letting in the required amount of the acid mixture and cooling it (passing cold compressed air and cold water through the coils) to 15-20 degrees, we started to spray the cooled glycerin. At the same time, it was ensured that the temperature in the apparatus did not rise above 30 degrees. If the temperature of the mixture began to rise rapidly and approached critical, the contents of the vat could be quickly released into a large vessel with cold water.

The operation of the formation of nitroglycerin lasted about one and a half hours. After this, the mixture entered the separator — a lead quadrangular box with a conical bottom and two taps, one of which was in the lower part, and the other on the side. As soon as the mixture was settled and separated, nitroglycerin was discharged through the upper tap, and the acid mixture through the lower. The obtained nitroglycerin was washed several times from an excess of acids, since the acid could react with it and cause its decomposition, which inevitably led to an explosion.

To avoid this, water was fed into the hermetic tank with nitroglycerin and the mixture was mixed with compressed air. The acid was dissolved in water, and since the densities of water and nitroglycerin were very different, then it was not difficult to separate them from each other. In order to remove residual water, nitroglycerin was passed through several layers of felt and sodium chloride.

As a result of all these actions, an oily yellowish odorless and very poisonous liquid was obtained (poisoning could occur both by inhalation of vapors and when drops of nitroglycerin get on the skin). When heated above 180 degrees, it exploded with terrible destructive force.

The prepared nitroglycerin was mixed with kieselguhr. Before this, kieselguhr was washed and thoroughly crushed. Impregnation with nitroglycerin took place in wooden crates lined with lead inside. After mixing with nitroglycerin, dynamite was rubbed through a sieve and stuffed into parchment cartridges.

In kieselguhr dynamite, only nitroglycerin was involved in the explosive reaction. Subsequently, Nobel came up with the idea of \u200b\u200bimpregnating various grades of gunpowder with nitroglycerin. In this case, the powder also participated in the reaction and significantly increased the force of the explosion.

Inventor: Alfred Nobel
A country: Sweden
Invention time: 1867

For several centuries, people knew only one explosive - black, which was widely used both in war and in peaceful explosive work. But the second half of the 19th century was marked by the invention of a whole family of new explosives, the destructive power of which was hundreds and thousands of times greater than the power of gunpowder.

Their creation was preceded by several discoveries. As early as 1838, Peluse conducted the first experiments on the nitration of organic substances. The essence of this reaction is that many carbon substances, when they are treated with a mixture of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids, give up their hydrogen, take the nitro group NO2 in return, and turn into powerful explosives.

In general, pure nitroglycerin is quite difficult to ignite from open flames. Lit rot in it without any consequences. But on the other hand, its sensitivity to shock and shock (detonation) was many times higher than that of black powder. Upon impact, often very minor, in the layers subjected to concussion, a rapid increase in temperature occurred before the onset of an explosive reaction. The mini-explosion of the first layers produced a new blow to the deeper layers, and this continued until an explosion of the entire mass of the substance occurred.

Sulfuric acid was not involved in the compound, but its presence was necessary, firstly, to absorb the water released as a result of the reaction, which, otherwise, diluting nitric acid would thereby impede the completeness of the reaction, and secondly, to isolate the resulting nitroglycerin from a solution in nitric acid, since it, being well soluble in this acid, did not dissolve in its mixture with sulfuric acid.

The preparation of the acid mixture at the Nobel factories took place in large cylindrical cast-iron vessels, from where the mixture entered the so-called nitration apparatus. In such an installation, about 150 kg of glycerol could be processed at a time. Having let in the required amount of acid mixture and cooling it (passing cold compressed air and cold water through the coils) to 15-20 degrees, they began to spray the cooled glycerin. At the same time, it was ensured that the temperature in the apparatus did not rise above 30 degrees. If the temperature of the mixture began to rise rapidly and approached critical, the contents of the vat could be quickly released into a large vessel with cold water.

Dynamite is a special explosive mixture, the basis of which is nitroglycerin. It is worth noting that in its pure form this substance is extremely dangerous. While the impregnation of solid absorbents with nitroglycerin makes it safe for storage and use, convenient to use. Dynamite may also contain other substances. Typically, the resulting mass is in the form of a cylinder and packaged in paper or plastic.

The invention of dynamite

An important event for the invention of dynamite was the discovery of nitroglycerin. This happened in 1846. The pioneer was a chemist from Italy, Askagno Sobrero. For powerful explosives, they immediately began to build factories around the world. One of them opened in Russia. Domestic chemists Zinin and Petrushevsky were looking for a way to use it safely. One of their students was just

In 1863, Nobel discovered a detonator capsule, which greatly simplified the practical use of nitroglycerin. It was possible to achieve this through activation with the help of Many even today consider this Nobel discovery more important than the discovery of dynamite.

Dynamite himself a Swedish chemist patented in 1867. Until the middle of the last century, it was used as the main explosive when working in the mountains and, of course, in military affairs.

Dynamite strides the planet

For the first time, Nobel himself proposed using dynamite for military purposes in the year when he patented it. However, then the idea was considered unsuccessful, since it is too unsafe.

On an industrial scale, dynamite began to be produced in 1869. One of the first to use it was Russian industrialists. Already in 1871 it was used in the extraction of coal and zinc ore.

Dynamite production volumes grew exponentially. If in 1867 11 tons were produced, then after 5 years - 1570 tons, and by 1875 up to 8 thousand tons were produced.

The fact that dynamite is an excellent weapon was first understood by the Germans. They began to blow up fortresses and bridges, prompting the use of it and the French. In 1871, this explosive appeared in the engineering forces of Austria-Hungary.

What does dynamite consist of?

As soon as the industrialists and the military of the world learned that it was part of dynamite, they immediately set up its production. They continue to release it today. Today it is a cartridge weighing up to 200 grams, which can be used for six months. There are high and low percent substances.

Despite the fact that the composition of dynamite was different for different manufacturers, its main components, of course, remained unchanged.

The main one is nitro mixture. It began to be used to increase frost resistance. It consisted of nitroglycerin and dinitroglycol. This is the main component, which occupied up to 40% of the weight. The next largest component is ammonium nitrate (up to 30%), almost 20% went to sodium nitrate. The remaining components were used to a much lesser extent - nitrocellulose, balsa and talc.

Dynamite in the service of criminals

One of the first to understand what dynamite, criminals of all stripes and terrorist organizations are. One of the first crimes involving this explosive occurred in the USA in 1875. The American sailor William Kong-Thomassen tried to blow up the Mosel, which went into the sea, to get insurance. However, a barrel of home-made dynamite exploded in the port during loading. The tragedy claimed the lives of 80 people.

However, the first failure did not stop the leaders of the underworld and terrorists. From 1883 to 1885, members of an extremist organization who advocated the separation of Ireland from Great Britain staged a series of explosions using dynamite. Including an explosion at the headquarters of the British police Scotland Yard and an attempt to undermine

Used this substance and the fighters against the autocracy in Russia. In particular, the party "Narodnaya Volya". In Europe, dynamite was massively used by anarchists.

The popularity of dynamite falls

For many years, most industrialists believed that dynamite is the main explosive in mining and the discovery of new minerals. He withstood the competition of saltpeter until the middle of the 20th century. In some countries - until the mid-80s. For example, dynamite was very popular in South Africa. It was used here in gold mines. Already closer to the 90s, under the pressure of trade union organizations, most of the plants were redeveloped into safer nitrate-based explosives.

Dynamite was also mass produced in Russia after the Great Patriotic War. Particularly popular was the non-freezing composition. Explosives left the domestic industry only in the 60s.

For many countries, dynamite is an affordable and easy-to-produce explosive. This state of affairs persisted for almost 100 years. Today, dynamite occupies no more than 2% of the total turnover of all explosives in the world.