What does pyroxylin mean?
Pyroxylin is a historical term for a highly flammable, cellulose-based material made by treating cellulose with nitric acid. It is closely related to nitrocellulose and was used in propellants, coatings, varnishes, and photographic film, especially during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The name can cause confusion with celluloid, but the substances are not identical: celluloid is a plastic made from cellulose nitrate and camphor, whereas pyroxylin more generally refers to the cellulose nitrate material. The term is now uncommon in technical and commercial contexts, where nitrocellulose is normally used, but it remains important in the history of explosives and moving-image technology.
nounA highly flammable material made by treating cellulose with nitric acid, closely resembling nitrocellulose. It has been used in explosives, coatings, and early photographic film.
- A highly flammable cellulose nitrate material historically used in explosives, coatings, varnishes, and photographic film.
"The workshop stored the pyroxylin in a ventilated metal cabinet because it could ignite easily."
"The magician's cabinet contained small quantities of pyroxylin for a dangerous stage effect."
"In the late nineteenth century, manufacturers developed methods for producing pyroxylin film for motion pictures."
The plural is rarely used because the material is generally discussed as an uncountable substance.
"The records mention several pyroxylins with different cellulose nitrate concentrations."
Pyroxylin helped make modern cinema possible: early photographic film was made from a cellulose nitrate material that could be formed into thin, flexible sheets.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pyroxylin come from?
Pyroxylin comes from Greek roots meaning “fire” and “wood,” a reference to the highly flammable nature of the treated cellulose. The term was used for cellulose nitrate materials and became especially prominent in the nineteenth century, when such materials were developed for uses including explosives and photographic film. Its name reflects the Greek words pyr, “fire,” and xylon, “wood.”
How pyroxylin is actually used
The term is chiefly historical and technical. In modern usage it is uncommon, and nitrocellulose is usually preferred for the cellulose nitrate material itself.
Easily confused with pyroxylin
Pyroxylin is a historical term for a nitric-acid-treated cellulose material, while nitrocellulose is the more specific modern name for the resulting cellulose nitrate.
Pyroxylin refers to cellulose nitrate material itself, whereas celluloid is a manufactured plastic made from cellulose nitrate and camphor.