AbstractA thin‐layer chromatographic method was developed in connection with the determination of the safe lifetimes of gun propellants. This method enabled the numerous stabilizer reaction products of diphenylamine and ethylcentralite, which were formed on storage, to be qualitatively analysed.Since a correlation could be established between the temperature and the decomposition or formation of certain of these reaction products, it became possible to estimate the time of onset of autocatalytic decomposition of powders and solid propellants from an analysis of the material at much earlier time