Characteristics and manufacture of spherical smokeless powders

Abstract

Smokeless propellants have been studied and manufactured for many decades. They can exist in various physical forms and also can have different properties according to the use of each propellant. One important form of smokeless powders is the ball powder, which has spherical grains. The manufacture process of the ball powder has many advantages over the usual way to manufacture a smokeless powder. For example, unstable and even deteriorated nitrocellulose, after being stabilized again, can be used to produce spherical powders. Also, the process to produce them requires less water and energy, which can result in a cheaper way to manufacture powders. In this review, the spherical powders manufacturing process is described, as well as the characteristics and advantages of this specific form of a double-base powder.