Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents, and stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germany, and was patented in 1867. It rapidly gained wide-scale use as a more robust alternative to the traditional black powder explosives. It allows the use of nitroglycerine's favorable explosive properties while greatly reducing its risk of accidental detonation.
Preparation of dynamite during the construction of the Douglas Dam, 1942.
"Nobels extradynamit" manufactured by Nobel's old company, Nitroglycerin Aktiebolaget
Women mixing dynamite at Nobel's Ardeer factory, 1897
Advertisement for the Ætna Explosives Company of New York.
An explosive is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An explosive charge is a measured quantity of explosive material, which may either be composed solely of one ingredient or be a mixture containing at least two substances.
The Great Western Powder Company of Toledo, Ohio, a producer of explosives, seen in 1905