Improved Process of Manufacturing Smokeless Gunpowder.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process of Manufacturing Smokeless Gunpowder.
I, ARTHUR DE STUBENRAUCH, of No. 2, Koernerstrasse, Carlsruhe (Baden), in
the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
Almost all the kinds of smokeless gunpowder hitherto in use have the dis-
advantage that on the one hand the barrels of the rifles rapidly corrode and on
the other hand, even the best guns or rifles are apt to be destroyed on account of
the excessive explosive power of the known powders.
It has frequently happened that smokeless powder appeared injurious and the
arms sustained a larger quantity of shot until finally when the ignition became
stronger, an explosion or detonation took place which destroyed the gun and
consequently the arms-bearer always stood in danger.
Moreover, it may be remarked that every kind of smokeless powder changes by
the variation of temperature and sometimes discharges or fires satisfactorily but
at other times without power.
The object of this invention is to manufacture a smokeless powder which
possesses the properties of common gunpowder but about three times as much
piercing capacity as the latter, which may be shot from even the cheapest or
poorest, cartridge successfully and with perfect safety and which is absolutely free
from any tendency to cause corrosion.
The manufacture of this powder consists in subjecting nitrified fibrous
materials, such as wood, cellulose, cotton and the like to the action of salts of
chromium and light whereby these nitrified fibrous materials are changed in such
manner that the powder acquires the properties above mentioned.
The process is preferably carried out in the following manner: -
Well cleaned grains of wood are nitrified in such manner that a dinitro-
compound is produced which is subsequently thoroughly freed from acid and
dried. After being dried the grains are treated with an aqueous solution of
potassio-chromic-oxalate (1:6 to 1:10) until all the grains are saturated with the
solution.
After this operation, the grains are dried on hurdles in such manner that
they are subject to the action of daylight whereby the grains which were
previously of light yellow colour become dark brown and are converted into a
compound similar to that of common gun powder.
The powder dried after the last operation and oxidized by the action of light
ignites exactly like common powder with the weakest igniting flame, it can
never detonate and burns without forming smoke and with only a minimal
residuum which does not corrode the barrels of the rifles at all.
Another characteristic feature is that even the lightest or thinnest rifles may be
fired with heavy charges of this powder whereas if such rifles were charged with
any other kind of smokeless powder the barrels of the rifles would surely burst.

page_text: Experiments have shown that on full charges being fired from brass barrels of
2 millimetre in thickness the latter were not injured at all.
A second method of carrying out the said process especially adapted for military
purposes is by manufacturing the powder in the form of small cakes or leaves.
For this purpose soft paper, instead of grains of wood, is nitrified and after
the removal of acid and drying it is saturated with the solution of potassio-
chromic-oxalate and then dried and subjected to the action of light.
The sheets of paper thus prepared are rolled by means of polished steel rollers
until they become smooth and hard, whereupon the square cakes or leaves are
cut by known machinery.
This powder burns rather slower but fires equally as well as the former and
is specially adapted for military purposes.
T
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ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Process of Manufacturing Smokeless Gunpowder.
I, ARTHUR DE STUBENRAUCH, a Subject of the Emperor of Germany, of
No. 2, Koernerstrasse, Carlsruhe (Baden), in the Empire of Germany, Manufac-
turer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
All new kinds of smokeless gunpowder possess certain defects which frequently
render the powder unusable.
Some have an excessive explosive power and others have the disadvantage that
they only act properly or explode, when the ignition is of certain strength or
power all these powders have however the disadvantage that the guns corrode
and the action is irregular according to the varying temperature. The object of
this invention is to manufacture a smokeless gunpowder which is free from above
defects and in fact forms a substitute for the best dangerless common gun powder:
The basis of this new powder is nitro cellulose which is nitrated for light or thin
rifles in such manner that it only burns with difficulty; mono-nitro cellulose has
therefore proved to be better for sporting powder than dinitro cellulose as
originally used for this purpose because mononitro cellulose does not contain suffi
cient combined oxygen so as to burn readily. This dinitro or mononitro cellulose
partly substitutes the sulphur and carbon contained in common gun powder
and partly the saltpetre. The prepared powder is manufactured by impregnating
this mononitro-cellulose in the from of grains, dust or flocks with an oxygen-
carrier which partly substitutes that which is wanting and at same time makes
the powder durable and constant so that it fires well in any kind of weather.
The liquid serving for the impregnation consists of a solution of potassio-chromic-
oxalate in water and the rate of the burning can be regulated by taking more
or less salt. After thorough impregnation of the mononitro cellulose in the
solution of potassio-chromic-oxalate, the cellulose is dried and subjected for a
certain period to the action of the light whereby the chromic salt is oxidized.
By the oxydation of the chromic salt, an unlimited durability and constancy is
obtained which is so great that the powder can be moistened several times with-
out ever losing its uniform nature. In practice, grains of hard wood of various
sizes, but each size for itself, are nitrated in such a manner that mononitro cellų-

page_text: lose results and after being thoroughly freed from acid, slowly dried. With a
mononitrification (for sporting powder) these nitrated and dried grains of wood
burn only slowly; they are impregnated in a hot solution of potassio-chromic-
oxalate (1:6-1:12) according to the desired slower or quicker rate of combusti-
bility and then dried in such manner that they are subjected to the action of
day-light, whereby an oxidation takes place. The previously light yellow pre-
paration becomes dark brown after the oxydation and is then unchangeable.
Instead of grains of wood, thin veneers of hard wood may be used with equal
success, which, after complete preparation are cut into grains by machinery.
Strong unsized paper may also be used which is treated like the plates or squares
of wood. It is of great advantage if the prepared plates or squares of wood or
paper before being cut into grains are rolled between polished steel rollers until
smooth surfaces appear, whereby an intense compression or compactness and a
still slower rate of combustibility specially adapted for military purposes, is
obtained. The prepared powder affords a perfect substitute for common gun.
powder as regards its safety and uniformity, whereas it also possesses the superior
qualities of smokeless powder. The mononitro cellulose which lacks oxygen is
impregnated with above described solution in such a manner that the impreg-
nated mononitro cellulose forms a real or proper substitute for ordinary gun
powder, since both explosive power and gas pressure are about equal to that of
ordinary gun powder, with the exception that the piercing power or initial velocity
is greater than with ordinary gun powder.
The characteristic feature in the manufacture of powder for light rifles is that
the cellulose is converted into mononitro cellulose and if possible contains less
higher nitro groups than dinitro cellulose which is readily made by employ-
ing weaker acids. Another advantage of the new powder over all other smokeless
powders is that only a small quantity of nitrous acid is formed when firing which
at the explosion is so combined by the chromic salt that no residuum remains to
corrode the guns; the small dust-like and scarcely perceptible residuum may be
easily removed by blowing into the tube.
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
Improved process of manufacturing smokeless gun powder consisting in con-
verting cellulose in form of grains of wood or veneering into mononitro or dinitro
cellulose in as pure a state as possible and in impregnating the obtained product
with neutral oxygen carriers substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
Dated thou Je
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