Firearm propellants

thumb|upright=1.3|Gunpowder for muzzleloader|muzzleloading firearms in granulation size thumb|American Civil War re-enactors volley firing with black powder thumb|Flash pan starter dispenser

Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid.

propellant used in firearms and artillery

thumb|A stick of cordite from World War II thumb|A sectioned British 18-pounder field gun shrapnel round, World War I, with bound string to simulate the appearance of the original cordite propellant thumb|Close-up of cordite filaments in a .303 British rifle cartridge (manufactured in 1964) thumb|Burning a strand of cordite from a .303 British round

thumb|Ballistite as seen in a cross-sectional diagram of a British WW1 stokes mortar|Stokes trench mortar cartridge

first practical smokeless gunpowder

explosive-based propellant used in large artillery and ship's guns