Benny Williams working in mix house at Hercules Port Ewen plant

2024-09-03T17:16:59-04:00

General view of mix house group leader Benny Williams mixing Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) with graphite for use in the electric blasting caps produced at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Port Ewen, New York. Williams is seen operating a series of levers in order to mix the PETN on a rubber mat positioned on the other side of the concrete wall. Notably, rubber was used to transfer and mix the explosive powder in order to avoid the hazard of metal, which might cause a spark or a shock.