Bus driver smelled cordite....what is that and what does it smell like?
News just said officers in chemical protection suits preparing to enter tube station.
SKY: Men dressed in chemical protection suits entering Warren St. station.
Cordite is the smell you get when you fire a gun..
Cordite N is used as a propellant in aircraft gun ammunition. It actually contains three main explosive components. These components are nitroguanidine, nitrocellulose, and nitroglycerin. Cordite N is very cool burning, with little smoke and no flash, and has no flash, and has a higher velocity or burning rate than Ballistite.
Cordite is a "smokeless" explosive.
Cordite is a type of gunpowder. If you've ever fired a modern centerfire firearm, you've smelled cordite.
Sounds like they may have used gunpowder as a kind of detonator or precursor charge - or tried to.