Astralit IV consists of ammonium nitrate, not more than 10 per cent. of aromatic nitro-bodies not more dangerous than dinitro-naphthalene, vegetable meal, and not more than 4 per cent. of blasting gelatine. Astralit V, which has been introduced recently, contains up to 10 per cent. of potassium perchlorate in addition to ammonium nitrate, also vegetable meal, not more than 16 per cent. of aromatic nitro-compounds, and not more than 4 per cent. of nitroglycerine. Gelatine-Astralit is a gelatinised or powdery mixture of the nitrates of ammonium and sodium (or potassium), not more than 50 per cent. of dinitro-chlorhydrin, not more than 5 per cent. of nitroglycerine, not more than 2 per cent. of collodion cotton, vegetable meal, aromatic nitro-bodies such as nitro-toluenes or nitro-naphthalenes, but not more than 4 per cent. of trinitro-toluene; also hydrocarbons. Wetter-Astralit is a coal-mine explosive, and differs from Astralit in that part of the ammonium nitrate is replaced by sodium chloride. Wetter-Gelatine-Astralit is also a coal-mine explosive, and differs from Gelatine-Astralit in that it contains also fatty oils and neutral salts, such as potassium chloride, sodium chloride or an oxalate. The following percentage compositions have been given-- Astralit. Wetter- Astralit. Nitroglycerine 4 4 Ammonium nitrate 84·5 74·5 Trinitro-toluene 7 7 Wood meal 1 1 Charcoal 1 1 Paraffin oil 2·5 2·5 Sodium chloride -- 10 Gelatine- Wetter- Astralit. Nitroglycerine 4 Dinitro-chlorhydrin 16 Nitrocotton 0·5 Ammonium nitrate 40 Sodium nitrate 7·5 Dinitro-toluene 4 Nitro-toluene 1 Wood meal 0·5 Potato meal 8 Rape oil 2 Ammonium oxalate 2·5 Sodium chloride 14 Explosives of the Astralit type have also been used extensively by the Germans for filling trench howitzer shell and similar projectiles. The following is approximately the composition used for this purpose-- Nitroglycerine 3 Nitrocotton 0·5 Ammonium nitrate 77 Trinitro-toluene 16 Wood meal 3·5 This explosive was authorised in England under the name of Australite. =ATLAS POWDER.=--A brand of American straight dynamite. =AUSTRALITE.= See =ASTRALIT=. *=AXITE.= A smokeless powder made by Kynoch, Ltd., and used for sporting rifles. It is a sort of Cordite MD, with a little of the guncotton replaced by potassium nitrate, and is in the form of flat strips. A sample had the composition-- Nitroglycerine 29·7 Guncotton 63·1 Potassium nitrate 1·9 Mineral jelly 5·1 Volatile matter 0·2