Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosive Compounds.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosive Compounds.
1, WILBRAHAM EVELYN LIARDET, of Cambria, Darling Street Balmain, in the
Colony of New South Wales, Australia Inventor, 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 the following statement :-
My invention relates to the manufacture of an explosive compound containing the
ingredients of picric acid combined with nitrate of potash, or other similar substances
producing the like effect in combination. It consists in part in eliminating during
the process of manufacture the elements of danger hitherto attending such manu-
facture by first reducing the picric acid in glycerine, which deprives the compound
of its detonating properties and renders it harmless at all stages of its manufacture.
Further; the volume or quantity of glycerine in my process being eighteen times less
than the quantity of water used by the ordinary method of mixing and combining
picric acid, I obtain better results as regards both quantity and quality. By means
of my process I shorten the operation of producing such explosive compound by
dealing directly with the active ingredient in the first stage of manufacture, by which
and by such means I retain the active properties and prevent the waste of the
useful material. During the first stage of my process of manufacture desiccation of
the material treated is unnecessary, and in the second stage such desiccation is
minimised, and the time occupied in carrying out the process of manufacture is
materially shortened.
By varying the proportion of the ingredients hereinafter described I manufacture a
compound of greater or less explosive power (according to the requirements of the
material to be operated upon), and the operation of mixing the ingredients can be
performed by persons desirous of using the explosive, such operation being absolutely
safe in the hands of inexperienced persons.
The manufacture of an explosive compound according to my process consists in the
mixture of pieric acid with glycerine and the combination of such compound with
nitrate of potash (or nitrato of sodium), ground cedar, or other suitable wood, and
flowers of sulphur. In the first instance I dissolve picric acid in half its own weight
of boiling glycerine, but may add additional quantities of picric acid if it is desired to
produce greater solidity, and while in the state of solution I thoroughly mix it with
twice its own weight of nitrate of potash (or nitrate of sodium). The mixture
becomes solidified or of a pasty nature when cooled. Ground cedar, or other suitable
wood, is then heated, and mixed in the dry condition with the before mentioned
mixture in the proportion of one pound of ground wood to every ounce of the
mixture. The ground wood, when thus impregnated with the pasty material, is
further treated by admixture with a boiling solution of nitrate of potash in the
approximate proportion of two and three quarter pounds of nitrate of potash to every
pound of ground wood. I then add flowers of sulphur in the proportion of five parts
of sulphur to eleven parts of the impregnated ground wood. I can dispenso with the
flowers of sulphur by increasing the volume or quantity of the mixture of picric acid
and glycerine.
For the purpose of producing a compound of greater explosive power, absolutely
free from danger, I mix the picric acid and glycerine with nitrate of potash in the
proportion of one fourth of the former to three fourths of the latter, which, when
carefully solidified, can he made impervious to water by known methods.
The above process secures absolute safety in the process of manufacture, and
produces an explosive compound of great power, safe for the purposes of storage and
carriage, and particularly adapted for blasting operations. The compound is not
suseptible to explosion by friction and the other ordinary methods of obtaining

page_text: explosion in the open air, it being absolutely necessary when using the compound to
exclude it from atmospheric influences in order to bring about explosion.
Having thus described the nature of my said invention, and how the same is to be
carried into effect, I have to state that what I claim is :-
1. The improved process herein before described consisting of the use of glycerine
in preparing an explosive compound of picric acid with nitrate of potash or other
similar ingredient producing the like effect in combination:
2. The improved process hereinbefore described for the manufacture of a safety
explosive compound containing the ingredients of picric acid and nitrate of potash, or
picric acid combined with other similar ingredient producing the like effect in
combination.
Dated this Twenty first day of June 1889.
Witnesses,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
JOHN J. STONE,
Civil Engineer, Sydney.
ARTHUR J. STONE,
Cadet Engineer, Sydney.