A NEW BLASTING COMPOUND
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of Harris
and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for an Invention of "A NEW BLASTING COMPOUND." A communi-
cation from abroad by Johann Anders, Engineer, of Pilsen, Bohemia, in the
Empire of Austria.

page_text: The "collodion-wool" is treated with the glycerine in a mixture of ether and
alcohol in a water-bath at a temperature of 40 to 45 degrees Celsius, thus allowing
the ether and alcohol to evaporate.
The parts stated as above are intimately mixed by hand, or otherwise, and this
compound is formed into cartridges of various sizes and thicknesses.
The cartridges are then passed through a solution of paraffine of a low-melting
point, and are enveloped in unsized paper saturated with paraffine.
The compound is exploded by common copper caps or primers such as are used
with dynamite. By suddenly raising the temperature up to 180° to 190° Celsius
the compound explodes, but if brought into contact with flaming or glowing bodies
it burns slowly with a yellow flame and with little residue.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th August 1881.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "A NEW
BLASTING COMPOUND." A communication from abroad by Johann Anders,
Engineer, of Pilsen, Bohemia, in the Empire of Austria.
This new explosive compound, which the inventor denominates " diaspon,"
consists of the following ingredients in about the proportions stated :-
Slightly nitrated wood cellulose or "collodion-wool "
Nitro-glycerine
Nitrate of soda
=
Wood cellulose deprived of grease
Sulphur
0.5 to 3 parts.
->
47
to 63 "'
-
23
to 33
"
-
8
to 18
"
-
3
to 4
"
The proportions of the mixture of materials above indicated may be varied
within certain limits; and the explosive action will be augmented or diminished
according to the proportions.
The "diaspon" is manufactured in the following manner :-
To prepare the "collodion-wool" (nitrated cellulose) wood cellulose is in the
well known manner treated with nitre or with nitric and sulphuric acids. It
must however be free of acid for obtaining a good result.
The nitroglycerine is manufactured by the generally known process and freed
of all acids by washing.
The nitrate of soda and the sulphur are very finely powdered.
The cellulose is first deprived of its grease in a hot bath of a solution of soda,
then washed, steamed, or evaporated to dryness, and finally powdered or ground.
The collodion wool or slightly nitrated wood cellulose is treated with the
nitroglycerine in a mixture of 5 to parts by weight of ether and alcohol in the
proportion of 6 to 2 in a water bath at a temperature of 40 to 45 degrees Celsius,
thus allowing the ether and alcohol to evaporate.
The collodion wool combines with the nitroglycerine so powerfully that the
latter does not leave the diaspon even under the influence of great pressure.
'
The parts above stated and prepared are intimately mixed with each other, and
this composition is moulded into cartridges of various sizes and thicknesses, as
desired.
The moulding is effected most advantageously in the following manner :-
The mass is placed in a cylinder whose lower part is contracted and terminates
in a tube of the thickness desired for the cartridges. In the cylinder is a piston
covered with leather, caoutchouc, or other soft and elastic material, which is moved
by a screw or other convenient means, by which the mass of diaspon is forced out
of the cylinder.
After moulding, the cartridges are passed through melted paraffine of a low
melting point, they are then enveloped in unsized paper saturated with paraffine.
The diaspon is exploded by means of common fulminating caps such as are
used for exploding dynamite.
r
By suddenly raising the temperature to about 180 to 190 degrees Celsius, the
diaspon "explodes, but if brought into contact with flaming or glowing bodies
it burns slowly with a yellow flame and with little residue.
The resistance of the "diaspon" to concussion and to cold is greater than that
of fossil meal dynamite. On the contrary the explosive action of the " diaspon "
is much greater than that obtained by the explosion of fossil meal dynainite,

page_text: consequent on the fact that the gases of combustion and the heat developed at the
explosion are much greater in consequence of the combustibility of the materials
which absorb the nitroglycerine.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,—
First. In explosive compounds of nitro glycerine the employment of slightly
nitrated wood cellulose (collodion wool) dissolved in ether, alcohol, and nitro-
glycerine.
Second. In explosive compounds of nitroglycerine the employment of nitrate of
soda in lieu of nitrated potash heretofore employed.
Third. The addition of sulphur to explosive compounds of nitro-glycerine.
Fourth. The manufacture of "diaspon" by a mixture of slightly nitrated wood
cellulose (collodion wool) dissolved, of nitrate of soda, of sulphur with cellulose
deprived of grease, and with nitroglycerine in the proportion above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty third day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.