Cheddite is a class of explosive materials that were originally manufactured in the town of Chedde in Haute-Savoie, France in the early twentieth century. Closely related to Sprengel explosives, cheddites consisted of a high proportion of inorganic chlorates mixed with nitroaromatics (e.g. nitrobenzene or dinitrotoluene) plus a little paraffin or castor oil as a moderant for the chlorate. Several different types were made, and they were principally used in quarrying. Due to availability of ingredients and easy production process it was also the most common explosive material manufactured by the Polish Underground State in occupied Poland during World War II; it was used for production of the R wz. 42 and Filipinka hand grenades.
Since the 1970s, Cheddite is the commercial name for an explosive compound used as an explosive primer for shotgun cartridges. It contains 90% potassium chlorate, 7% paraffin, 3% petroleum jelly, and traces of carbon black.