The need to survey the stability and compatibility of explosives in general and propellants in particular is beyond discussion. During the more than 100 years that nitrocellulose has been in use as a propellant, an enormous number of tests have been devised to survey its stabiliiy. The majority of these tests are rather simple and empirical in nature. During the last decade or so, however, modern analytical methods have been introduced in the explosives feld, and are often used in parallel with older methods. Modern methods give real information about the components studied, but the translation of the result into terms of stability, compatibility and remaining stable life of the complex mixture of ingredients in a propellant is no easy task.

Microcalorimetry has been successfully applied to the study of electrochemical components and structural materials during the design and development of new batteries. The Ampoule form of the Microcalorimeter is ideally suited to the examination of the electrochemical materials in forms such as pastes, liquids, powders or even the entire battery. The method is non-destructive, Analysis of the activity of the components is fast; for example, a reaction normally taking several weeks or months can be observed within a few hours when using this technique. The variable full-scale readout range of the instrument ensures a sensitive measurement of the activity of a wide range of samples.

A dry cell battery is an electrochemical cell in which the electron transfer of a chemical reaction is conducted outside the battery through an external circuit in a load. The reactions in the battery result in a decrease in the energy content of the substances in the battery, It is this energy decrease which can be used to power a device such as a ?ashlight. It is however not possible to utilize the entire energy because of internal energy losses within the battery. The energy that cannot be used outside the battery is converted to heat within the battery. By measuring this heat the efficiency of the battery may be investigated.

Microcalorimetry has been successfully applied to the study of electrochemical components and structural materials during the design and development of new batteries. The Ampoule form of the Microcalorimeter is ideally suited to the examination of the electrochemical materials in forms such as pastes, liquids, powders or even the entire battery. The method is non-destructive, Analysis of the activity of the components is fast; for example, a reaction normally taking several weeks or months can be observed within a few hours when using this technique. The variable full-scale readout range of the instrument ensures a sensitive measurement of the activity of a wide range of samples,