Improvements in Explosive Compounds.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1889-Accepted, 22nd June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ALFRED NOBEL, of 53, Avenue Malakoff, Paris, in
the Republic of France, Engineer.]
Improvements in Explosive Compounds.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Nitrate of Ammonia, which is a very sluggish explosive, becomes somewhat more
vivid when intimately mixed with charcoal or dinitrobenzol, or any of the nitro-
napthalines. But such compounds are still too sluggish, not only as substitutes for
dynamite or high explosives, but also as substitutes for gunpowder in propelling
projectiles, and, although they have been tried for such purpose, their explosive
combustion exhibits far greater irregularity than that of common powder.
Experiment has, however, proved, that when Nitrate of Ammonia is intimately
mixed with a picrate or ammonio-picrate, its explosive combustion or inflammability
becomes much more intense, and its action, as a propelling explosive, much more
regular than heretofore. The picrate preferred for such purpose (on account of its
smokeless combustion) is Picrate of Ammonia, which, when used in the proportion of
one part of said picrate by weight for three parts, also by weight, of Nitrate of
Ammonia, intimately mixed and grained in the same manner as it is done with
gunpowder, form an excellent explosive, but these proportions may be much varied.
Since the aforesaid powder is hygroscopic, it should be kept or stored for use in
moisture-tight bags, by preference bags made from flexible collodion, which in
itself is an explosive, and materially facilitates, when inserted in a gun, the ignition
of the contained powder.
Dated this 4th day of Jul. 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Explosive Compounds.
I ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON of the Office for Patents G, Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman 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:-
It is well known that nitrate of ammonia, which is a very sluggish explosive,
becomes somewhat more vivid when intimately mixed with charcoal or dinitro-benzol,
or any of the nitro-napthalines. But such compounds are still too sluggish, not only
as substitutes for dynamite or high explosives, but also as substitutes for gunpowder
in propelling projectiles, and although they have been tried for such purpose, their
explosive combustion exhibits far greater irregularity than that of common powder.
Now the object of the present invention is to remove these defects, and to this end
my communicant prepares his powder in the following manner :-he takes, say,
3 parts by weight of finely powdered nitrate of ammonia, and 1 part by weight of
picrate of ammonia, and combines them together. The manufacture differs only so
far from that of gunpowder, as a slight addition of gum arabic, dextrine, or analogous
substance, say, per cent. of the weight of the material, may be added for the purpose
of hardening the grains, and further, that the drying process must be suited to the
highly hygroscopic nature of the powder herein described.

page_text: The relative quantities of nitrate and picrate of aminonia may be much varied,
according as a more or less vivid explosive compound is required. Its vivacity or
violence may be still further increased, by adding a small proportion (say, 10 per cent.
of its weight) of a picrate, or ammonio-picrate, such as picrate of potash or ammonio-
picrate of copper.
When the aforesaid explosive compound is used for charging shells or torpedoes, its
hygroscopicity is of no importance, as it is contained in a perfectly moisture proof
chamber. But when the aforesaid powder is to be used for propelling purposes,
it should be enclosed in a moisture-proof envelope made from an explosive material.
The envelopes employed, whether in the form of bags or other receptacles, will
preferably be made according to the invention for which I obtained Provisional
Protection February 4th 1889, No. 1988, such envelopes serving the double purpose
of protecting the powder against the absorption of moisture, and of emitting, when
ignited, an explosive flame, which acts as a primer, and facilitates the firing, throughout
its mass, of the aforesaid powder.
In charging a gun with powder contained in an explosive envelope as herein
described, such envelope may either be put into the gun entire, or it may be cut open
for the purpose of giving quicker access of the flame to the interior charge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my Foreign Correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
A granulated powder composed of nitrate of ammonia and picrate of ammonia,
with or without other picrates or ammonio-picrates, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described.
Dated thie 23rd day of May 1889
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.