An Improved Smokeless Powder, and Manufacture of same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1895-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Smokeless Powder, and Manufacture of same.
1, EMILIO UNGANIA of Imola, Province of Bologna, Italy, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
"
The smokeless powder or explosive designated " Fulgor forming the
subject of the present invention is not affected by moisture and remains
unchanged by the action of light and atmospheric influences; it does not freeze ;
it does not contain any substances that re-act upon one another; it does not
generate any injurious or noxious gases; it resists the most violent shocks
and it ignites only at a temperature exceeding 250° Celsius. Ignition takes place
instantaneously.
Its combustion takes place slowly with progressive explosion; and its power
or the perforating or penetrating power imparted to the projectile is enormous.
These advantages are generally obtained by employing nitrated hydro-cellulose
as the basis of the powder.
The said hydrated nitro-cellulose is advantageously produced by treating cotton
(which has been deprived of fat and has been bleached) with weak acids especially
hydrochloric acid and then nitrating the hydro-cellulose thus obtained.
By suitably selecting the additional matters the powder can be made in varieties
respectively adapted for military sporting and general shooting purposes and of
greater or less intensity of power.
•
The practical manufacture of the various kinds or brands of the powder is effected
as follows by way of example and in or about the following proportions :-

page_text: MANUFACTURE OF THE ILI DRUCELLULOSE
To produce chemically pure (or approximately chemically pure) hydrocellulose
cotton waste is deprived of fat by means of a boiling solution of caustic alkali is
bleached with hypochlorites and the cellulose thus produced is hydrated by means
of hydrochloric acid.
The product has most probably the following composition :—
CH*42(OH)*
It is much more readily oxidizable or oxidized than ordinary cellulose and can
be highly nitrated with great ease uniformity and certainty.
In the manufacture of the "hendeka-hydronitrocellulose" (types A and B) the
strongest nitrating acid is used :-
1 part by weight of hydrocellulose.
5 parts »
15
"
ני
"
"
"
"
nitric acid (specific gravity 1.52).
sulphuric acid (Nordhäuser).
1S
The "hepta-hydronitrocellulose" (type C) produced by meaus of ordinary
MANUFACTURE OF THE
"NITROMANNITE."
The "nitromannite" should not be produced according to the well-known 3
method of Stecker but must be made in the following manner.
"Mannite" thoroughly dried and pulverized to extreme fineness is immersed in
a mixture of fuming (German "rauchender") nitric acid and sulphuric acid.
The "nitromannite " thus produced is in contradistinction to the ordinary
well-known kind unalterable and not affected by heat and light.

page_text: Type B has the appearance of light green sparkling very regular tough small
scales.
Type C consists of light green sparkling scales of very small grain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Smokeless powder containing nitrated hydro-cellulose.
2. Smokeless powder containing nitrated hydro-cellulose combined with the other
materials specified.
3. Smokeless powder containing nitrated hydro-cellulose combined with the other
materials specified substantially in the manner and proportions and for the purposes
herein before described.
4. The manufacture of nitrated hydro-cellulose for the purposes specified
consisting of treating cotton (deprived of fat and bleached) with weak acids
(especially hydrochloric acid) and nitrating the hydro-cellulose thus produced.
5. The herein-described process of manufacture of nitrated hydro-cellulose
consisting in treating cotton (deprived of fat and bleached) with weak acids
(especially hydrochloric acid) and nitrating the hydro-cellulose thus produced.
6. Smokeless powder composed of the materials in the proportions and according
to the formulæ hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 25th day of June 1895.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.