University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Sorry, we couldn't find anything matching "As part of the war effort, housewives were encouraged to save all used cooking fats and turn them in to their local butcher. The fact that extra ration stamps for food could be earned by doing this was a great incentive. These fats were then used to make explosives. One pound of fat contained enough glycerin to make nearly a pound of explosives. Glycerin is used in the manufacture of nitroglycerin, dynamite, blasting gelatin, and smokeless powders (Cordite and Ballestite). Until 1948 all glycerin was made primarily from animal fats by hydrolyzing the fat with an alkali, to form a soap and glycerol.".