The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1846-12-12
Explosive Cotton.

Having heard several inquiries relative to
the manner Of preparing Cotton to be used in
lieu Of gunpowder, we publish the following,
from the report of Professor Otto, of Brunswick,
who claims to have discovered the secret, Gin
dependent of Schonbein and Bottger:"
"For making exploding cotton the common
we'll cleaned staple must be dipped in highly
concentrated acid Of saltpetre, Cthe acid which
l use is made by distilling ten parts dried salt
petre and six parts oil of vitriol or sulphuric
acid) then it is put into fresh water, which
is often changed, and care must be taken to
loosen thoroughly the cotton, which from
the process becomes matted; after which, it
must be well dried, Thus the exploding article
is in a state of preparation for the gun bar
rel.
In his second report on the same subjectP Pro-
lessor Otto says:
1t seems that no other acid than that pro-
cured by the distillatiOn of ten parts of salt
petre, and six parts of oil of %vitriol, will confer
upon raw cotton its explosive power. Hy-
driate of nitric acid (saltpege-sawchydriaD
dissolves the cotton. In good proper acid,
the cotton becomes transparent, and the fibre
is not injured or dissolved. The acid by dis
t~illation first procured is best. Cotton dipped
into it for half a minute, and then quickly
pressed between glass plates, or boards, and
washed afterwards until it is entirely free
from acid, and subsequently dried, produces a
superior exploding article. Using the acid
a second time, an inferior article is procured;
bui if, after having been washed and dried it
is again dipped into the acid, it becomes ex-
%cellent. A repetition of the manipulation
necessarily augments the exploding quail
ity.
Section may even remain in the acid lon
ger than half a minute. That which had lain
in it as leng as twelve hours was found to be
very explosive. 1t is important that the
cotton be very well washed when it is taken
out of the aCidj for if any remains in it, a
s~altpetre flavor will attach to it when drv
and exploding will leave on anything white
an acid %tincture. The vivid explosion of Q
small ball of the article on a white china plate
is the criterion by which to test its good quail
ity. 1t must flash like gunpowder, and leave
no dust behind it. If a particle even is seer
it cannot be used in guns. 1t also appear
to be necessary that the cotton, after having
been dipped into the acid and pressed, b,
Immediately put into a large quantity Of water
If the cotton be put into a sufficient quantity
Of water, it (the cotton) gets heated; an,
small quantities of cotton are also preferable
for, if large, it forms into knots of a blush
green color, which are so firm as not to be easil
separated. The more the prepared article re
sembles the one in it's natural state, the bette
and more powerful it is. With 5.4ths or 6-4th
d of a gTGin-48O grains equal to an Englis
I Ounce-balls of ! inch diameter were driver
l through boards one inch thick. With
I grains abullet was driven from a rifle, at a dis
a lance of as steps, into an oak plank, to tn
! depth of an inch and, with four or FIVE grains
q %effectual shots have been made with fowlin
q pieces. The more readily the cotton e%xplodel
the greater the care to be taken in handlin
it.