Frequently Asked Questions
Dry lacquers are not explosive so additional plasticizers are not required.
There is no difference in performance between nitrocellulose produced from linters and nitrocellulose produced from wood pulp.
Nitrocellulose itself is currently exempt from registration as it is a polymer. The damping alcohols or plasticizers and nitric acid require registration.
Drums should always be earthed during emptying as the emptying process will result in the generation of a static charge. If the drum is not earthed it is possible to produce a spark which can ignite the damping alcohol.
There is no “best” solvent for nitrocellulose as different end uses require different solvent systems. WONIPA members can advise on suitable solvents for various applications.
Nitrocellulose is approved for many food contact applications.
Nitrocellulose complies with current heavy metals legislation.
Industrial nitrocellulose is a flammable solid class 4.1 so it is not subject to ATF regulations.
The safety data sheet gives detailed safety and handling information. Further information is available from WONIPA members.
Guidance is available from WONIPA members.
The maximum recommended continuous storage temperature for nitrocellulose is 40 ºC.
Exposure of nitrocellulose to direct sunlight should be avoided as this can result in drying of the damping agent which makes the product much more sensitive to impact and friction.
The plastic liners should be removed from the boxes or drums in a safe area and then sent for disposal as hazardous material as they will still contain residues of nitrocellulose. Once clean the fibreboard boxes and drums can be sent for recycling.
The ignition temperature of nitrocellulose is >180 ºC.
The most commonly observed effects are discoloration, cracking and loss of adhesion.
Nitrocellulose does not contain any GMOs.
Nitrocellulose has not been tested on animals in the past 5 years.
Nitrocellulose has been in use for many years with no evidence of adverse effects. The toxicity is dependent on the wetting agent.
High nitrogen grades of industrial nitrocellulose, commonly known as E, H or RS grades have nitrogen contents of 11.7 – 12.3% and are soluble in esters, ketones and glycol ethers.
Low nitrogen grades commonly known as A, L or SS grades have nitrogen contents of 10.7 -11.4% and are soluble in ethanol in addition to esters, ketones and glycol ethers.
There is no significant difference in hazard between low and high nitrogen grades. The key point is to ensure that the damping agent does not dry out.
Nitrocellulose is produced from either cotton linters or wood pulp.
Cotton is a recognised renewable and sustainable crop.
The wood pulp used to produce nitrocellulose is made from wood supplied by certified forests that plant more trees than they fell each year.
In normal handling and processing conditions industrial nitrocellulose cannot explode. Only if industrial nitrocellulose is dried and heavily confined will it display explosive properties.
Nitrocellulose is used in a range of pharmaceutical applications such as wound dressings, corn paint and protein filters.
Other common uses are nail varnishes, glues, paints, leather and paper coatings.
As ethanol acts as a latent solvent, increasing the solvent power of active solvents this means that a solution of ethanol damped nitrocellulose will tend to have a lower viscosity than a solution of IPA damped nitrocellulose at the same solids content.
Ethanol damped nitrocellulose can also be used to produce low odour formulations.