Consists chiefly of cellulose tetranitrate, obtained by the action of nitric and sulfuric acid s on cotton; used in the preparation of collodion. SYN: colloxylin, dinitrocellulose, nitrocellulose, soluble gun cotton, xyloidin. [pyro- + G. xylon, wood]
* * *
py·rox·y·lin pī-'räk-sə-lən, pə- n a flammable mixture of cellulose nitrates usu. with less than 12.5 percent nitrogen that is less explosive than guncotton, soluble in a mixture of ether and alcohol or other organic solvents, and used esp. in making plastics and coatings (as lacquers) see COLLODION
* * *
py·roxy·lin (pir-okґsə-lin) [pyr- + Gr. xylon wood] [USP] a product of the action of a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids on cotton, consisting chiefly of cellulose tetranitrate; a necessary ingredient of collodion. Called also guncotton and nitrocellulose.Medical dictionary. 2011.