11.  Explosives industry: powders, propellants and nitrocelluloses

Solid energetic materials include powders, explosives and propellants. These materials range from very fine powders (the "pulvérin des artificiers") to the rigid blocks used for the Space Shuttle or Ariane V.

Black powder, made from a ternary mixture (saltpetre, charcoal, sulphur) with a little water added, was for a long time produced in a batch process, in which a cake is formed, broken up and then sieved before the grains are smoothed. Today, the trend is towards a continuous process, with a homogenizing jet mill at its heart.

Solid propellants are produced in a batch process. Prior to homogenizing the ingredients by mixing, the fillers are prepared and ground. Very fine grain sizes are achieved by air jet mills. In particular, micron fineness is required for nitraminated fillers.

Homogeneous powders feature oxidizing...