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What compounds plasticize nitrocellulose?
If the application is pyrotechnical, especially rocket propellant, energetic plasticizers are preferred. Nitroglycerin is probably the most widely used and effective ene…rgetic plasticizer for nitrocellulose. Nitroglycerin plasticized nitrocellulose is, in fact, the well-known "double base" smokeless powder. The commercial "Bullseye" pistol powder is 40% nitroglycerin. There are other energetic plasticizers, having equivalent specific energy to nitroglycerin, but safer to handle and store. These include diethylene glycol dinitrate (DEGDN), butanetriol trinitrate (BTTN), and trimethylolethane trinitrate (TMETN, in mixtures with DEGDN). If the application is application/engineering plastic, a very well-established plasticizer is camphor. The mixture of camphor and nitrocellulose is the well-known plastic "celluloid". As with energetic plasticizers, there are other inert plasticizers for nitrocellulose besides camphor. Phthalate esters are prominent in this group. (MORE)