An Improved Manufacture of Smokeless Gunpowder.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1889-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1839
An Improved Manufacture of Smokeless Gunpowder.
I, WILHELM SCHÜCKHER of I Negelgasse 13, Vienna, Austria, Manufacturer,
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—
My invention relates to the manufacture of smokeless gunpowder of the following
composition. It consists in a mixture of explosive starch (Xyloidine) with mineral
salts such as the nitrates of potash, soda, baryta and ammonia, picrates, or chlorate of
potash, or with organic substances, such as resins, nitronaphthaline, carbon, the
Xyloidine being subjected to the action of a solvent during the process
manufacture.
of
Experiments have shewn that Xyloidine is by far more suitable for preparing
smokeless gunpowder, than all the nitrated hydrates of carbon hitherto proposed and
tried, for starch is converted by the nitrification into an amorphous mass, which is
much more soluble, and which consequently admits of a by far more intimate
incorporation with the mineral or organic substances to be combined therewith.
The process of making this novel grained smokeless gunpowder is as follows:-
The nitrated starch (Xyloidine), in moist condition, and the mineral salts or organic
matters to be incorporated therewith, are brought into a mixing drum, and are
intimately mixed together whilo at the same time steam is allowed to outer the drum ;
the drum is afterwards somewhat heated in order to drive the mixture sufficiently to
reduce its percentage of moisture to from 30 to 40 per cent.
The mass thus obtained is then pressed into cakes, which are broken into grains by
means of the well known granulating machines. According as cannon powder,
musket-powder or blasting powder is to be made, the mass is more or less finely or
coarsely granulated and the grains may be glazed in the manner usual with ordinary
gunpowder.
After the grains have been allowed to dry they are impregnated with a solvent of
the Xyloidine. As is known, such solvents are methylic, alcohol, camphor, and other
substances, it has however been found by experiments that a solution of nitrobenzole
in a suitable solvent, such as benzine, ether, chloroform, etc., best suits the purpose
in view, as a small quantity of nitrobenzole in the form of a diluted solution, suffices
for entirely dissolving relatively large quantities of explosive starch.
The solvent of the nitro-benzole is eliminated from the impregnated grains by
slowly evaporating it in vacuo. The Xyloidine dissolved by the nitrobenzole forms a
hermetical coating of the mineral salts or organic substances and imparts very great
hardness to the grains.
Owing to the easy solubility of the nitrated starch in small quantities of nitrobenzole
the quantity of mineral salts or organic substances in the compound may be varied
within wide limits (from 10 to 90 per cent.); the larger the percentage of Xyloidine
is, the more powerful will be the effects of the powder. In all cases, the Xyloidine
forms a very strong cement for the matters composing every grain.
The proportion of the ingredients of this novel smokeless gun-powder may be
varied within the following limits:

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A smokeless gunpowder, consisting of a mixture of explosive starch or Xyloidine
incorporated, with mineral salts such as the nitrates of potash, soda, baryta or ammonia,
picrates, or chlorate of potash or with organic substance such as resins, nitronaphthaline,
carbon, the Xyloidine being subjected to the action of a solvent during the
manufacture.
2. The process of making grained smokeless gunpowder such as is referred to in the
preceding claim, such process consisting in mixing the explosive starch or Xyloidine
with the mineral salts or organic substances, pressing the mixture into cakes and,
after granulating it, impregnating the grains with a solution of nitrobenzole and
evaporating the solvent, substantially us herein described.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1889.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.