Improvements in or relating to Explosives.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Explosives.
We, WILLIAM GREAVES, Chemist, and EDMUND MILLS HANN, Civil Engineer,
both of Aberaman, near Aberdare, County of Glamorgan, Wales, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in explosives containing nitrocellulose
such as gun-cotton, (soluble or insoluble) or nitro-glycerine, or both, employed
more particularly as ammunition. It is found that Cordite, a mixture of gun-
cotton and nitroglycerine when fired from rifles or quick-firing cannon, generates
an acid smoke, which has a serious effect upon the rifling of the guns, tending
quickly to destroy them. The object of our invention is to neutralize the acid
smoke formed on the combustion of this class of explosive, and we effect this by
the addition to the explosive of a small percentage of one of the Oxalates of the
alkaline earths and ammonia such as
ammonium oxalate, Sodium oxalate,
Potassium oxalate, or the double oxalates, all of which may be used either in the
hydrated or dehydrated condition, but the salt we prefer to employ is ammonium
Oxalate. The addition of any of the above oxalates not only neutralizes the acid
smoke but it also has the effect of making the explosion less rapid which is an
important feature as applied to explosives where the initial strain is very great
owing to the rapidity of explosion such for instance as Cordite.
.
T
1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to Explosives.
We, WILLIAM GREAVES, Chemist, and EDMUND MILLS HANN, Civil Engineer,
both of Aberaman, near Aberdare, County of Glamorgan, Wales, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-
This invention relates to improvements in explosives containing nitro-cellulose
such as gun-cotton, (soluble or insoluble) or nitro-glycerine, or both, employed
more particularly as ammunition. It is found that Cordite, a mixture of nitro-
cellulose and nitro-glyerine, when fired from rifles or quick-firing cannon,
generates an acid smoke, which has a serious effect upon the rifling of the guns,
tending quickly to destroy them. The object of our invention is to neutralize the
acid smoke formed on the combustion of this class of explosive, and we effect this
by the addition to the explosive of a small percentage of one of the oxalates of the
alkaline earths or ammonia such as ammonium oxalate, Sodium oxalate, Potassium
Pia 817
...

page_text: oxalate, or the double oxalates, all of which may be used either in the hydrated or
dehydrated condition, but the salt we prefer to employ is ammonium oxalate.
The addition of any of the above oxalates not only neutralizes the acid smoke, but
it also has the effect of making the explosion less rapid which is an important
feature as applied to explosives where the initial strain is very great owing to
the rapidty of explosion such for instance as Cordite.
In carrying out this invention, although we do not confine ourselves to it wo
prefer the neutral oxalate of ammonia to the acid salt. We prefer also to employ
the dehydrated salt, the process of dehydrating being carried on at as low a tem-
perature as conveniently possible in order to avoid driving off any of the ammonia
and decomposition of the salt.
The ammonia oxalate, dehydrated or with the water of crystallization, is
reduced, say by grinding, to a very fine powder in which state it is added in an
incorporating machine to cordite prepared as far as this stage in the usual manner.
The mixing should take place with great thoroughness and is an operation
requiring considerable time.
We prefer to employ a lignum vitæ edge-runner mill for the process of mixing,
but any suitable kneading or incorporating machine may be used.
The further process of manufacture is the same as is followed in the manu-
facture of cordite (which can be made with or without vaseline) except that in the
drying more care must be exercised and the temperature more gradually raised
than is usual, as the oxalate cordite tends to soften and lose its shape.
The neutralization in the manner described of the acid products resulting from
the firing of an explosive containing nitro-cellulose and more particularly those
containing nitroglycerine is due to the formation from the oxalate af the time of
the explosion of oxamide, ammonium carbonate, carbamide and other gases having
an alkaline reaction. These alkaline products being formed at the same time as
the said acid products and the oxalate having been well diffused throughout the
mass of explosive there results an immediate combination between acid and alkali
neutralizing the former before they have time to corrode the walls of the gun.
The oxalate may be mixed with the cordite in any desired proportion; we have
found admixtures of 10 to 15 % of ammonium oxalate give good results
The oxalate may be added to other explosives than cordite and the like such as
maximite, such for example_as "Ballistite" in which it is said soluble nitro-
cellulose is used or whether the explosive contains both kinds of nitrocellulose as
is said to be the case with "Amberite," or whether they consist of nitrocellulose
and nitro-derivatives of aromatic hydrocarbons such as "Rifleite " or other like
smokeless powders."
66
The explosive containing the oxalate may be worked into any of the forms in
use with the explosive in question and into other forms as may be found con-
venient, and the oxalate may be added at any convenient stage of manufacture
provided only that it can be thoroughly incorporated with the mass of the
explosive.
In addition to the neutralization of the acid fumes as hereinbefore described
the addition of oxalate to any of the said materials has the effect of rendering
their explosion less rapid which will allow of the use of quick smokeless explosives
in large cannon which require a somewhat slow explosive, and a further advantage
is that the Oxalate shortens and cools the flame which will prove useful in night
warfare. Should the oxalate in the explosive give evidences of any tendency to
become acid we may add a small percentage of ammonium carbonate or magnesium
carbonate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. Neutralizing the acid products of explosion of cordite by the admixture there-
with of ammonium oxalate.

page_text: 2. Neutralizing the acid products of explosion of cordite by the admixture there-
with of an oxalate of an alkaline earth or of ammonia.
3. Neutralizing the acid products and lessening the speed of explosion of nitro-
cellulose or nitro-glycerine explosives by the admixture therewith of an oxalate
of an alkaline earth or of ammonia, but preferably neutral ammonium oxalate
substantially as described.
4. The addition of ammonium carbonate or magnesium carbonate to explosives
of the kind described to neutralize the effect of any tendency of the oxalate to
become acid.
ou 1
1
1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.