German chemists first synthesized pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) in Cologne, Germany, by nitrating pentaerythritol. PETN proved to be one of the most powerful and shatteringly fast high explosives known, possessing immense velocity of detonation. It became invaluable for creating industrial detonating cords (Primasheets), which allowed multiple blasting charges across a massive rock face to fire simultaneously.

The terrifying speed of PETN detonation waves introduced concepts of absolute immediacy to scientific writing and industrial prose. It reinforced themes in early avant-garde poetry regarding the instantaneous destruction of old physical forms by the unstoppable velocity of chemical progress.