Improvements in the Manufacture of Blasting Powders.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Blasting Powders.
I, GEORGE BENEKÉ, of Hazelhurst, Southport, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of blasting powders. The substances
chiefly used in its manufacture are nitrate of soda and nitrate of potash and
sulphur together with a carbon carrier. A part of this invention consists in the
special treatment of the carbon carrier which can be made from one or more of
the following-Asphaltum, pitch, resin, lac, varnish, oils, naphthaline, anthra-
cene, phenanthrene, all kinds of wax and the like. In carrying out my
preliminary treatment of the carbon carrier I make use of an oxidizing agent
as well as charcoal or coke.
Various explosives have been invented from time to time consisting principally
of saltpetre, sulphur and other ingredients with the addition of a plastic substance
which will bind the powder together into a hard mass under pressure.
These explosives, however, have this very serious defect, that their temperature
of ignition is far too high above that of blasting gunpowder, and ignition and
detonation by means of fuse becomes very difficult, and the result is frequent
misfire in the shot hole with its attendant dangers.
I have discovered that a good reliable and very cheap substitute for blasting
gunpowder may be produced, which is of equal and even greater strength than
the latter, and whereby this serious defect is remedied, under the following
process of manufacture.
In order to carry out my invention I first proceed to prepare a carrier of carbon.
By way of example I melt or dissolve from 12 to 16 parts of asphaltum, pitch
or resin or other suitable carbon carrier until it is in a fluid state and stir into
it 1 to 2 parts of finely powdered permanganate of potass and 5 to 10 parts of
finely powdered charcoal or finely powdered coke. In place of the permanganate
of potass I may employ chlorate of potass or bichromate of potass or other
suitable oxidizing agent.
The mixture is constantly stirred until the ingredients have been thoroughly
mixed. The mixture is then cooled or dried and ground to an extremely fine
powder.
The incorporation of the oxidizing agent and charcoal or coke into the carbon
carrier is of very great importance and renders the latter more easily combustible
and not so inert. To 20 or 23 parts of this powder I then add 65 to 70 parts of
dry and finely powdered nitrate of soda and 5 to 10 parts of nitrate of potass
and 10 to 12 parts of sulphur.
I do not confine myself to these proportions and may vary them according to
requirements and add other ingredients.

page_text: The mixing of the ingredients and subsequent pressing of the powder may
then be proceeded with and the material granulated.
Dated this fth day of July 1909
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Chartered Patent Agents.
I, GEORGE BENEKÉ, of Hazelhurst, Southport, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, 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 the manufacture of blasting powders. The substances
chiefly used in its manufacture are nitrate of soda and nitrate of potash and where
practicable sulphur, together with a specially prepared carbon carrier as herein-
after described. The main part of this invention consists in the special treatment
of the carbon carrier, which can be made from one or more of the following,
asphaltum, pitch, resin, lac, varnish, oils, naphthaline, anthracene, phenanthrene,
all kinds of wax and the like. In carrying out my preliminary treatment of the
carbon carrier I make use of an oxidising agent and preferably additional carbon
such as charcoal, coke or the like.
The special treatment of the carbon carrier has the additional advantage of
diminishing the dangerous sensibility and frequent unstableness of the oxidising
agents, chlorate of potash in particular, and my invention renders them com-
paratively safe against friction and percussion, whilst at the same time this
treatment largely prevents crystallizing out and consequent danger of explosion
from a variety of causes. This action of rendering the oxidising agent more
stable is independent of the added carbon.
In my experiments on flame reducing substances and nitrate of ammonium
compounds I have used melted resin for the purpose of waterproofing the flame
reducing salts, but I have now discovered that I can use the melted resin (and
other substances above indicated) for the purpose of rendering the oxidizing
agent more stable, and I am enabled by my discovery to make safe and reliable
explosives from nitrate of soda and nitrate of potash.
As far as I am aware no explosive containing chlorate of potash has come into
general use in England on account of its instability and danger, except for the
purpose of detonators.
Various explosives have been invented from time to time consisting principally
of saltpetre, sulphur and other ingredients, with the addition of a plastic sub-
stance which will bind the powder together into a hard mass under pressure.
These explosives, however, have this very serious defect, that their temperature
of ignition is far too high above that of blasting gunpowders, and ignition and
detonation by means of the fuse become very difficult, and the result is frequent
misfire in the shot-hole with its attendant dangers.
I have discovered that a good, reliable and very cheap substitute for blasting
gunpowder may be produced, which is of equal and even greater strength than
the latter, and whereby this serious defect is remedied, under the following
process of manufacture.

page_text: EXAMPLE NO. 1.
In order to carry out my invention I first proceed to make a specially prepared
carrier of carbon. By way of example I melt (by heating) or dissolve (by means
of a suitable solvent) from 10 to 16 parts of pitch or resin or other suitable carbon
carrier until it is in a fluid state and stir into it 1 to 2 parts of finely powdered
bichromate of potass and about 5 parts of finely powdered charcoal or other finely
powdered carbon. In place of the bichromate of potass I may employ chlorate
of potass (for which see Example No. 2) or permanganate of potass or other
suitable oxidizing agent, but permanganate is not so desirable.
The mixture is constantly stirred until the ingredients have been thoroughly
mixed. The mixture is then cooled or dried and ground to an extremely fine
powder, or the mixture may be used in a fluid or viscous state, as may be found
most convenient.
The incorporation of the oxidising agent and charcoal or other finely powdered
carbon into the carbon carrier is of very great importance and renders the
mixture more easily combustible and not so inert, but as before explained the
added carbon has little or no effect in rendering the oxidizing agent stable. To
about 18 to 23 parts of this powder or liquid mass I add 65 to 70 parts of dry
and finely powdered nitrate of soda and mix them well together and then add
5 to 10 parts of nitrate of potass and 10 to 12 parts of sulphur previously ground
together into a fine powder.
The mixing of the ingredients and subsequent pressing of the powder should
then be proceeded with. Before pressing, the powder should be heated to a tem-
perature which will slightly soften the carbon carrier, or it may be pressed cold,
according to the carbon carrier selected. It is then granulated.
EXAMPLE No. II.
By way of further illustration, I will now proceed to describe an example in
which I employ chlorate of potash in lieu of bi-chromate of potass in the
manufacture of the specially prepared carbon carrier.
:
I proceed to dissolve five to ten parts of resin, which will not melt below
200°F. until it is in a fluid state, and stir into it ten to twenty-five parts of finely
powdered chlorate of potash; the mixture is constantly stirred until the in-
gredients have been thoroughly mixed and each particle is surrounded by the
resin.
Owing to the unstableness of chlorate of potass it is desirable to treat it with
a second coating of another of the hydrocarbons. For this purpose to the
ultimate dry powder, I then add ten to fifteen parts of melted pitch which will
melt at a temperature of 140 to 150°F. or ten to fifteen parts of a suitable
carbonaceous or hydrocarbon material which will melt at a similar or lesser
temperature than 140 to 150°F.
The second coating material where used must of course melt at a much lower
temperature than the first coating material, and must not melt the first coating
but simply adhere to it. Or I may employ any other two suitable carbonaceous
or hydrocarbon materials, always taking care that there shall be a difference of
at least 50° to 60°F. between their respective melting points.
I may also add about five parts of finely powdered carbon or more according
to the amount of the available carbon in the carrier selected.
The ingredients are again thoroughly mixed in such a manner that each
particle is as well as possible surrounded by the second coating material.
I then mix this specially prepared carbon carrier (treated with a single or
double coating) intimately with 65 to 70 parts of nitrate of soda or 60 to 65
parts of nitrate of soda and 5 to 10 parts of nitrate of potash. In using this
particular prepared carbon carrier no sulphur must be used, as is well known,
and asphaltum should therefore not be employed in the manufacture of the
prepared carbon carrier.

page_text: The double coating process is most effective where a highly sensitive and
unstable oxidizing agent like chlorate of potash is employed.
I do not confine myself to the proportions above indicated, and may vary
them according to requirements.
The specially prepared carbon carrier made with or without the added carbon
may also be employed with nitrate of potash and sulphur (the sulphur being
omitted in case chlorate of potass is employed in the prepared carbon carrier)
in lieu of nitrate of soda and sulphur as above described in order to form explosive
mixtures capable of being employed in blasting operations.
The specially prepared carbon carrier in addition to rendering the oxidizing
agent more stable also ensures the better ignition and detonation of the explosive
compounds herein referred to of which it forms an ingredient.
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:-
1. The mode hereinbefore described of preparing a special carbon carrier for
use as an ingredient in the manufacture of explosive compounds of the kind
hereinbefore referred to, which mode consists in bringing a carbonaceous material
or a hydrocarbon such as those hereinbefore specified to a liquid state, and
admixing and incorporating therewith when it is in such state, finely powdered
bichromate, chlorate or permanganate of potash or other oxidizing agent and
finely powdered carbon, the product being used in a liquid state or powdered.
2. The manufacture of a specially prepared carbon carrier as described, with
or without added carbon for the purpose of rendering stable the oxidizing agent
in explosive compounds of the kind referred to.
3. An explosive compound consisting of a specially prepared carbon carrier
as described in Example 1, nitrate of soda or nitrate of potass or both, and sulphur.
4. An explosive compound, consisting of a specially prepared carbon carrier
as described in Example 2, nitrate of soda or nitrate of potash or both.
Dated this 31st day of January 1899.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Chartered Patent Agents.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Chartered Patent Agents.