Year: 1891

page_text: a vuvel caplosive сотроица.
Communicated to me by THE CALIFORNIA EXPLOSIVE COMPANY, of 310, Pine
Street, San Francisco, California, one of the United States of America.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11 Wellington Street, Strand, in the
City and County of London, Patent Agent, 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:-
This invention relates to an explosive composition consisting essentially of a
combination of nitrate of ethyl, methyl alcohol, nitrate of methyl, nitro-benzine
and pyroxyline with highly purified nitro-glycerine such as obtained by the process
of purification described in my Specification in my application for Letters Patent
No. 11326 of 3rd July 1891 as follows:-
In order to enable me to use commercial nitro-glycerine in my explosive I subject
it to the following treatment; I take 75 to 80 or even 85 parts of common nitro-
glycerine and add thereto sufficient ethyl alcohol to make 100 parts in volume of
the mixture. The stronger and purer the alcohol the less it is necessary to add or
a larger per centage of nitro-glycerine can be used.
This mixture is gently agitated until the ingredients are thoroughly commingled,
and it is then left to settle. In two or three hours the mixture will separate into
two distinct layers, both transparent and of a light yellow color. The upper layer
will be ethyl alcohol containing a solution of fatty acids and water derived from
the nitro glycerine itself; this upper layer should be removed by syphonage or
decantation. The lower layer will be nitro-glycerine containing a small quantity of
sulphate of lead and of oxide of iron. These impurities will gradually precipitate
themselves to the bottom, or they can be separated from the nitro-glycerine by
filtration. The purified nitro-glycerine resulting from this treatment is of the
highest explosive nature obtainable in science, and also chemically staple. I will
designate it as compound No. 1.
1 then take one part of nitrate of ethyl, (nitro-ethylen) C,H,NO3, one part of
nitrate of methyl, (nitro-methylin) N2O,CHIO, and mix these together and in the
mixture dissolve about 10% of pyroxyline. All three of these substances are highly
explosive, both separately and in combination with each other. This compound
I will designate as No. 2.
Next I take one part of nitro-benzine, and mix it with an equal volume of methyl
alcohol (C,H,HO) and dissolve pyroxyline in this mixture up to the point of
saturation. This compound I will call No. 3.
Then I take 35 parts of nitro-glycerine, or compound No. 1, and mix it with
15 parts of compound No. 3. These two resulting compounds are then mixed to
form 100 parts. The final product constitutes a most powerful explosive and is the
base and body of my compound. It will be seen that this finished product contains
70% in volume of the most highly purified nitro-glycerine, volume in proportion
to weight as 10 is to 16.
Thus compounded it is absolutely safe, and does not explode on concussion.
Ignited in the open air it will burn slowly until it reaches a temperature of about
280 degrees C. When exploded it is smokeless. It remains staple and does not
lose any of its properties by prolonged storage.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion (communicated to me as aforesaid) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
-
An explosive compound consisting of nitrate of ethyl, nitrate of methyl, nitro-
benzine, methyl alcohol, pyroxyline, with highly purified nitro-glycerine, combined
and prepared substantially as set forth and described.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of September 1891.
W. E. GEDGE.