Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosives.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1891-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
[Communicated from abroad by Dr. EDUARD THEODOR GOTTIILF THORN, of
36, Grosse Reichenstrasse, Chemist, and GEORGE RUDOLPH OTTO WESTEN-
DARP and GEORG LUDWIG CARL PIEPER, both of 214, Bergstrasse, Civil
Engineers, all of Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany.]
Engineers, all of Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosives.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to the manufacture of explosives and particularly of gun-
powders from the products of the nitrification of cresol, which, the communicators
have observed do not even proximately own the violence of action or the sensibility to
concussion of the picrates and are therefore especially applicable in the production
of gunpowder. The explosives obtained from nitrocresol and its salts are found
to be highly conducive to safety, and offer great facility for use, storage and
transport.
In carrying out this invention trinitrocresol is intimately mixed with a certain
quantity of carbonate of barium or an equivalent quantity of carbonate of strontium
instead of which also the oxides or hydrates of barium or strontium may be
employed and under the addition of alcohol the substances are worked together
until a doughy kneadable mass is obtained. To the latter a solution of wax,
paraffine, ceresine, stearine or preferably of a soft resin in alcohol is added and
thoroughly kneaded until the whole mass is perfectly impregnated by this solution.
For the manufacture of gunpowder, the so-obtained dough has then to be dried,
by preference in vacuum, condensed by pressing, thereafter granulated, blacked by
graphite, and finally polished.
For obtaining a perfect combustion of the carbon contained in the trinitrocresol
to carbonic acid it is preferred to add simultaneously with the neutralisation of the
trinitrocresol, a certain quantity of nitrate of barium or strontium or any other
agent rich of oxygen.
On firing off this powder neither a trace of nitric or nitrous acid is freed, but the
residue which consists of dry carbonate of barium or strontium and oxide of
barium or strontium will become completely discharged out of the barrel when
firing off the shot, and not adhere to the metal of the barrel, so that the latter
will be kept clean and the inner parts being protected against corrosion. Also the
brass shell of the cartridge will not show after its use the least trace of verdigris.
In consequence of the mixture of the explosive with wax, paralline or the like, the
friction of the salt particles with one another is diminished to such a degree that
the said salts become entirely indifferent to shocks or strokes.
By experience it has been found, that the salts of the barium and strontium are
the only ones, which will not become hygroscopic by mixing the same with nitrocresol.
Compared with the powders made by aid of nitrocellulose the nitrocresol powders
will not develop any more smoke than the former.
Dated this 11th
Datation 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosives.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 explosives and particularly of gun-
powders from the products of the nitrification of cresol, which have not the extreme
violence of action and the great sensibility to concussion of the picrates, and are
therefore especially applicable for the production of gunpowder. The explosives
obtained from nitrocresol, and its salts are found to be highly conducive to safety,
and offer great facility for use, storage and transport.
In carrying out this invention trinitrocresol is intimately mixed with a certain
quantity of carbonate of barium or an equivalent quantity of carbonate of strontium.
or in place of which the oxides or hydrates of barium or strontium may be employed,
and with the addition of alcohol the substances are worked up together until a
doughy kneadable mass is obtained. To the latter a solution of two to five per cent.
of wax, paraffine, ceresine, stearine or preferably of a soft resin dissolved in alcohol
is added and the whole mass thoroughly kneaded until perfectly impregnated by the
said solution. For the manufacture of gunpowder, the said dough like mass must
be dried, by preference in vacuum, condensed by pressure, granulated, blacked by
graphite and finally polished.
According to this process a gunpowder of the highest quality is obtained for
instance by mixing about 48 parts of trinitrocresol with about 20 parts of carbonate
of barium or an equivalent quantity of carbonate of strontium or oxide or hydrate
of barium or strontium with the addition of about 33 parts of nitrate of barium or
an equivalent quantity of nitrate of strontium, serving as oxidizing agents. It has
been observed experimentally that the cresol at its lower grades of nitrification is
not as well adapted as trinitrocresol for the desired purpose, as it would require
a considerable quantity of the oxdizing agents to secure a perfect combustion.
On firing a gun charged with this powder neither a trace of nitric or nitrous
acid is freed, but the residue which consists of dry carbonate of barium or
strontium and oxide of barium or strontium, will be completely discharged from
the barrel when the shot has been fired, and will not adhere to the metal of
the barrel, so that the latter will be kept clean and the inner parts free from
corrosion. neither will the brass shell of the cartridge show after its use the least
trace of verdigris. In consequence of the mixture of the explosive with wax.
paraffine or the like, the friction of the salt particles with one another is diminished
to such a degree that the said salts are entirely unaffected by shocks or blows.
It has been found that the salts of barium and strontium are the only ones.
which will not become hygroscopic by mixing the same with nitrocresol. Compared
with the powders made from nitrocellulose the nitrocresol powders will not develop
any more smoke than the former.
Although have mentioned in the foregoing Specification only nitroeresol
I am aware that other nitro-compounds in the aromatic group of coal tar derivatives,
such as phenol and naphtol in their different grades of nitrification or aromatic
nitrated carbon and oxy-acids may be employed in conjunction with the oxidizing
agents specified. in the production of gunpowder according to this invention and
without departing from the nature of the latter, but the trinitrocresol is preferred for
this purpose owing to its use being highly conducive to safety and to its offering
great facilty for use, storage and transport.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
First. The process of manufacturing gunpowder by the neutralization of the
different nitro-compounds of phenol cresol, xylol, naphtol or of their isomers or the
oxy or carbon acids of the said nitro-compounds with carbonate or oxide or hydrate
of barium or strontium, working up the so obtained product together with a
solution of soft resin, wax ceresine, stearine or paraffine and thereupon following
pressing and granulating of the same, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Second. In the herein described process for manufacturing explosives, the addition
of nitrate of barium or strontium, serving as oxidizing agents for effecting a
perfect combustion of the carbon into carbonic acid, whereby hygroscopic products
are avoided.
Third. An explosive, obtained by the neutralization of about 48 parts of
trinitrocresol with about 20 parts of carbonate of barium or an equivalent quantity
of carbonate of strontium or oxide or hydrate of barium or strontium with the
addition of about 33 parts of nitrate of barium or an equivalent quantity of nitrate
of strontium, and working the product together with a solution of soft resin
wax, ceresine, paraffine or stearine, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
LL LOOL
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.