[spacegeek37]

I am new to this forum, and I decided to go somewhere where I could ask questions about my hobby in chemistry. Eventually, I wanted to know what gunpowder was, which lead me to smokeless powder, which lead me to nitrocellulose, and being interested in chemistry, I wanted information more in depth than Wikipedia. I noticed that the chemical process for it was originally very unsafe, although I would still like to know why, and that it is made with sulfuric acid, but it seems like all it should take is nitric acid. Just trying to figure out how the chemistry behind this works.

[billnotgatez]

We do not discuss drugs nor explosives synthesis or preparation.
This is a forum policy.
Click on the link near the top center of the forum page.
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting.
http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=65859.0

There are many places elsewhere on the Internet that do

But, Someone may want to chime in about the safety issues.

As a side note
The WIKI has references at the bottom of each entry that are useful in researching in depth the topic.
So you can get the background that made the WIKI item.

[Borek]

I noticed that the chemical process for it was originally very unsafe, although I would still like to know why

Every process dealing with highly energetic compounds is more or less unsafe - explosives have tendency to explode. Nothing more complicated.

and that it is made with sulfuric acid, but it seems like all it should take is nitric acid. Just trying to figure out how the chemistry behind this works.

Are you sure you have not misread whatever you were reading? Procedure involves both acids and is called nitration (although some will probably say that is incorrect, and nitrocellulose is a product of esterification). With these keywords you should be able to google for the mechanism.