| Centralite[1] | |
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1,3-diethyl-1,3-diphenylurea |
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Other names
Ethyl centralite |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 85-98-3 |
| PubChem | 6828 |
| Properties | |
| Molar mass | 268.3535 |
| Appearance | White to light grey crystalline powder |
| Density | 0.8/cm3 |
| Solubility in water | Insoluble |
| Solubility | Acetone, ethanol and benzene |
| (verify) (what is: /?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) |
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| Infobox references | |
Centralite (empirical formula: C17H20N2O) is a gunshot residue also known as ethyl centralite. Its IUPAC name is 1,3-diethyl-1,3-diphenylurea. Ethyl centralite is insoluble in water, but is soluble in acetone, ethanol and benzene. It is mainly used as a burning rate moderator and stabilizer for smokeless powder, and also a plasticizer for celluloid.
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The term "Centralite" was originally applied to dimethyldiphenylurea developed about 1906 at the German Central War Laboratory Zentralstelle fuer Wissentschaftlichtechnische Untersuchunggen in Neubabelsberg as a deterrent coating for smokeless powder in military rifle cartridges. Thereafter, all hydrocarbon-substituted symmetrical diphenyl urea compounds used as smokeless powder deterrents (or moderants) were called centralites after the laboratory. The preferred ethyl centralite became known as Centralite No. 1 and the original methyl centralite was identified as Centralite No. 2. Butyl centralite was also used as a celluloid plasticizer.[2][3]