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cellulose nitrate
noun
: any of several nitric-acid esters of cellulose used especially for making plastics and explosives : nitrocellulose
Cellulose nitrate film was introduced in 1887 and was used until about 1950. It is inherently unstable and highly flammable.—Sally A. Buchanan et al.
Examples of cellulose nitrate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kodak kept its technical leadership by introducing the first safety film (made of cellulose acetate, rather than of highly flammable cellulose nitrate) in 1908.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Aug. 2018
Researchers in Italy and Austria took five da Vinci drawings from the Royal Library of Turin and two from the Corsinian Library in Rome, including his famous self-portrait the Man in Red Chalk, and carefully dabbed each of the surfaces with sterile membranes made of cellulose nitrate.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 25 Nov. 2020
Unfortunately, cellulose nitrate is highly flammable.
—Rebecca Coffey, Discover Magazine, 25 Sep. 2012
Eventually Hyatt began playing around with cellulose nitrate—cotton treated with nitric and sulfuric acids—at his own peril, given that the compound was extremely flammable.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 27 Oct. 2022
The warehouse is owned by the national film institute, Cinemateca, and houses South America's largest collection of films, some made of cellulose nitrate, a highly flammable material.
—DÉbora Álvares, Star Tribune, 29 July 2021
Because the drawings are extremely delicate, the team carefully dabbed their surfaces with sterile membranes made of cellulose nitrate and used gentle suction tubes to remove microbes without damaging the paper.
—Nora McGreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2020
But almost all cellulose nitrate film has self-destructed in the last 100 years.
—Lily Rothman, Time, 18 May 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cellulose nitrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1873, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of cellulose nitrate was
in 1873
Dictionary Entries Near cellulose nitrate
Cite this Entry
“Cellulose nitrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellulose%20nitrate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on cellulose nitrate
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cellulose nitrate
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