Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1886
Complete Left, 18th Oct., 1886
Complete Accepted, 18th Jan., 1887
I, WILLIAM DALRYMPLE BORLAND of 35 Petherton Road Highbury New Park in
the County of Middlesex, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention to be as follows:-
-
The chief advantage attendant upon the use of charcoal as an absorbent for liquid
nitro compound explosives, is that the liquid cannot be separated from the absorbent
by contact with water.
The chief disadvantages attendant upon such application of charcoal are that even
the most porous forms of charcoal now known cannot absorb more than from five to
six times their weight of nitro-glycerine-and other liquid nitro-compounds in pro-
portion to their specific gravity. To exert even this degree of absorption it is neces-
sary that the charcoal be in such a coarse state of comminution that the mixture is
not plastic. A consequence of this necessarily large proportion of charcoal is that the
gases produced by explosion contain much carbonic oxide.
The object of this invention is to provide a carbonaceous absorbent in such a fine
state of division, that the mixture of this and the liquid nitro-compound may be per-
fectly plastic, and yet sufficiently dry, and also one which can take up a larger amount
of the liquid nitro compound, than those hitherto known.
To carry this invention into effect, I take preferably cork waste, or any form of
cork, divide this into small pieces, and either allow it to burn rapidly with free access
of air and with abundance of space to permit of all possible swelling up, or cause it to
smoulder in heaps or pits, or char it by means of superheated steam.
The product obtained is very easily inflammable, exquisitely soft to the touch, and
easily crumbled down to an almost impalpable powder of a reddish-brown to dark brown
color according to the temperature at which the charring was effected. When
properly prepared this carbonaceous substance readily absorbs from seven to eight times
its weight of nitro glycerine, giving a pulverulent mixture; from ten to twelve times
its weight, giving a plastic clay like mass; and capable of absorbing even so much as

page_text: thirty to thirty five times its weight and yielding a stiff paste of homogenous appear-
ance from which no nitro glycerine separates even after many months immersion in
water.
When using fibrous materials such as sawdust, peatmoss, hay and the like, instead of
cork, I prefer to saturate it with an oxidizing agent in solution such as sodium nitrate
then dry and burn as before-wash out the alkaline carbonate which is formed and
again dry. The resulting carbonaceous material which is now free from soluble salts
may be used in the same manner as that obtained from the cork. Hydrochloric or
other suitable acid may be used to reduce hard substances such as knots in the sawdust.
The mixture of seven to eight parts of nitroglycerine with one part of the above
described carbonaceous substance is excellent and convenient for use.
By the incorporation of one fourth its weight of water, which may be easily done by
kneading, it becomes absolutely uninflammable but in that state may be properly
exploded by the use of a sufficiently powerful detonator. The manipulation into
cartridges of this uninflammable dynamite is easy and safe, since in addition to the
security provided by its non-inflammability; I have also found that when the pressure
of the plunger is applied no nitroglycerine can be caused to exude until all the water
be squeezed out. Moreover if the mould and plunger be kept wet it is impossible for
any of the dynamite to adhere to the sides and bottom thereof giving rise to accidents
such as have been known to occur by the friction of a particle of dynamite between the
sides of the plunger and the mould.
I have also found by experiment that, whilst mixtures containing from twenty to
thirty parts of nitroglycerine to one of the carbonaceous substance are not sufficiently
hard and dry to form good cartridges, an addition of kieselguhr or other absorbent,
magnesia for instance obviates this lack of hardness. Thus a mixture of 75 parts of
nitro glycerine, 3 of the carbonaceous substance, 2.of alkaline carbonate, and 20 of
Kieselguhr is extremely dry to the touch, is less affected by freezing and thawing, than
ordinary Kieselguhr dynamite, and may be immersed in water for an indefinite length
of time without showing signs of exudation. By moistening the kieselguhr with its
own weight of water previous to incorporation with the nitro glycerine admixed with
the carbonaceous substance, I obtain an uninflammable dynamite dry to the touch, and
easily moulded into cartridges, this operation being by the use of this material, prac-
tically devoid of danger. The properties of resistance to the action of water and cold,
thus imparted to ordinary kieselguhr dynamite, by the addition of a comparatively
minute amount of my carbonaceous substance, I regard as most important.
My carbonaceous material may be used to effect an improvement in the consistency
and resistance to the action of high temperatures of blasting gelatine and by adding a
sufficient amount of the carbonaceous substance, I bring the gelatine into such a con-
dition that there is no difficulty in incorporating sufficient water to render it uninflam-
mable. In the filling of shells this is an advantage which can scarcely be overrated.
I also use my carbonaceous material to bring other liquid explosive nitro-compounds
into the plastic or pulverulent form. An explosive is now prepared by saturating
potassium chlorate with nitro-benzole. This labors under the disadvantage of not
being plastic and not sufficiently sharp in explosion.
By adding about 5 per cent of my carbonaceous material to this explosive I bring it
into the plastic condition and moreover increase the rapidity of explosion since by the
interaction of the potassium chlorate and the carbonaceous matter a vigorous detona-
tion is set up.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Explosive Substances and Absorbent Materials
.therefor.
I, WILLIAM DALRYMPLE BORLAND of 35 Petherton Road, Highbury New Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The chief advantage attendant upon the use of charcoal as an absorbent for liquid
nitro compound explosives, is that the liquid cannot be separated from the absorbent
by contact with water.
The chief disadvantages attendant upon such application of charcoal are that even
the most porous forms of charcoal now known cannot absorb more than from five to
six times their weight of nitro glycerine and other liquid nitro compounds in propor-
tion to their specific gravity. To exert even this degree of absorption it is necessary
that the charcoal be in such a coarse state of comminution that the mixture is not
plastic. A consequence of this necessarily large proportion of charcoal is that the
gases produced by explosion contain much carbonic oxide.
The object of this invention is to provide a carbonaceous absorbent in such a fine
state of division that the mixture of this and the liquid nitro compound may be
perfectly plastic, and yet sufficiently dry, and also one which can take up a larger
amount of the liquid nitro compound, than those hitherto known.
To carry this invention into effect I take preferably cork waste, or any form of cork,
divide this into small pieces, and either allow it to burn rapidly with free access of air
and with abundance of space to permit of all possible swelling up, or cause it to
smoulder in heaps or pits, or char it by means of superheated steam, or by heated
gases such for example as producer gas as it passes from the generator.
The product obtained is very easily inflammable, exquisitely soft to the touch, and
easily crumbled down to an almost impalpable powder of a reddish-brown to dark
brown color according to the temperature at which the charring was effected. When
properly prepared this carbonaceous substance readily absorbs from seven to eight
times its weight of nitro glycerine, giving a pulverulent mixture; from ten to twelve
times its weight, giving a plastic clay like mass; and capable of absorbing even so
much as thirty to thirty five times its weight and yielding a stiff paste of homogenous
appearance from which no nitroglycerine separates even after many months inmer-
sion in water.
The mixture of seven to eight parts of nitro glycerine with one part of the above
described carbonaceous substance is excellent and convenient for use and is readily

page_text: moulded into cartridges or other desired forms. Moreover dynamite cartridges may
be safely made by moulding this mixture under water into the forms or masses
required.
By the incorporation of one fourth its weight of water, which may be easily done by
kneading it becomes absolutely uninflammable but in that state may be properly
exploded by the use of a sufficiently powerful detonator. The manipulation into
cartridges of this uninflammable dynamite is easy and safe, since in addition to the
security provided by its non-inflammability, I have also found that when the pressure
of the plunger is applied no nitro glycerine can be caused to exude until all the water
be squeezed out. Moreover if the mould and plunger be kept wet it is impossible for
any of the dynamite to adhere to the sides and bottom thereof giving rise to accidents
such as have been known to occur by the friction of a particle of dynamite between
the sides of the plunger and the mould.
I have also found by experiment that, whilst mixtures containing from twenty to
thirty parts of nitro glycerine to one of the carbonaceous substance are not sufficiently
hard and dry to form good cartridges, an addition of kieselguhr or other equivalent
absorbent, magnesia for instance obviates this lack of hardness. Thus a mixture of
75 parts of nitro glycerine, 3 of the carbonaceous substance, 2 of alkaline carbonate, and
20 of kieselguhr is extremely dry to the touch, is less affected by freezing and thawing,
than ordinary kieselguhr dynamite, and may be immersed in water for an indefinite length
of time without showing signs of exudation. By moistening the kieselguhr or equiva-
lent absorbent with its own weight of water previous to incorporation with the nitro
glycerine admixed with the carbonaceous substance I obtain an uninflammable dyna-
mite dry to the touch, and easily moulded into cartridges, this operation being by the
use of this material, practically devoid of danger. The properties of resistance to the
action of water and cold, thus imparted to ordinary kieselguhr dynamite, by the
addition of a comparatively minute amount of my carbonaceous substance I regard as
most important.
My carbonaceous material may be used to effect an improvement in the consistency
and resistance to the action of high temperatures of blasting gelatine and by adding a
sufficient amount of the carbonaceous substance, I bring the gelatine into such a
condition that there is no difficulty in incorporating sufficient water to render it
uninflammable. In the filling of shells this is an advantage which can scarcely be
overrated.
I also use my carbonaceous material to bring other liquid explosive nitro compounds
into the plastic or pulverulent form. An explosive is now prepared by saturating
potassium chlorate with nitro-benzole. This labors under the disadvantage of not
being plastic and not sufficiently sharp in explosion. By adding about 5 per cent of
my carbonaceous material to this explosive I bring it into the plastic condition and
moreover increase the rapidity of explosion since by the interaction of the potassium
chlorate and the carbonaceous matter a vigorous detonation is set up.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I claim is.-
1. The use of carbonized cork as an absorbent for liquid or liquifiable explosives.
2. The hereinafter manufacture of an absorbent for liquid or liquifiable explosives
by charring cork substantially as specified.
3. The manufacture of an explosive by incorporating about 8 parts of nitroglycerine
with about one part of the carbonaceous material obtained by the action of heat upon
cork substantially as specified.
4. The method of rendering uninflammable the explosive manufactured in accord-
ance with the third claiming clause of this specification by the addition of water by
mixing kneading or applying under pressure substantially as specified.

page_text: 5. The manufacture of kieselguhr dynamite having power to resist the action of
water by the addition of the carbonaceous material obtained by the action of heat upon
cork substantially as specified.
6. The manufacture of uninflammable dynamite by incorporating from three to five
parts of the carbonized cork with about seventy five parts of nitro glycerine and
adding about twenty parts of kieselguhr or equivalent absorbent moistened with about
its own weight of water substantially as specified.
7. In the manufacture of dynamite cartridges the moulding in water into the
desired forms or masses of the dynamite prepared in accordance with the third, fifth
and sixth claiming clauses of this specification.
WILLIAM DALRYMPLE BORLAND.