IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elisée Cotte, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, No. 23, at.
Paris, Industrial, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CERTAIN EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS." A communication from Amedée Lan-
frey, of Chartres (Eure et Loire).
Sealed the 24th January 1879, and dated the 7th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elisée Cotte at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th August 1878.
ELISÉE COTTE, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, No. 23, at Paris, Industrial. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS." (A com-
munication from Amedée Lanfrey, of Chartres (Eure et Loire).
The object of the present Invention is the manufacture of a new explosive
product obtained from various straws, such as corn, rye, barley, oats, and buck-
wheat.
It is manufactured in the following manner :-
The straw is submitted to a boiling operation for 15 or 18 hours in an alkaline
solution (salts of soda or of potash) at a temperature of 2 to 3 degrees Baumé, the
straw is then easily disintegrated and the fatty or other soluble matters which it
contains are dissolved and carried off by the water when the latter is with-
drawn.
The fibres are then triturated and a perfect washing effected at the same time
by means of either a cylinder stuff engine, similar to those used in paper mills, or
by means of revolving millstones.
During the trituration a current of water should constantly wash the fibres.
It is essential that this pulp does not retain any alkaline re-action, which is
ensured by adding sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid in sufficient quantity that
the washing water has a slightly acid re-action.
The fibres thus triturated and prepared are after having been perfectly dried
ready to undergo the re-actions which render them explosive.
To facilitate the manipulations the pulp is treated by the paper machine and
should produce a sheet weighing about 300 grammes the square metre. The thick-
ness may be varied at will.

page_text: The sheet thus formed is cut into little pieces of 3 to 4 millimetres square. This
operation may be effected by hand with special tools or mechanically. These little
pieces or fragments are then immersed for 3 or 4 hours in an acid compound
formed of 3 volumes of smoking ("fumant") azotic acid (40 to 48 degrees), and 5
volumes of concentrated sulphuric acid (66 degrees), then withdrawn from the acid
bath, drained as much as possible, pressed, and finally well washed with water
until there remains no trace of acid.
Any acid re-action is prevented by adding to the last washing water a little
carbonate of potash or of soda, and a little of this alkaline water is left in contact
with the little pieces or fragments for several hours.
To transform the materials into nitro-cellulose more economically, the fragments
may be immersed in a compound of nitrate of soda or of potash, and concentrated
sulphuric acid, the result being the same.
.
A nitro-cellulose of straw is thus obtained of a very energetic explosive property,
at the same time of great stability, qualities which the nitro-cellulose of cotton does
not possess.
The absolute stability of this nitro-cellulose, of such importance to explosive
bodies, is explained in the following manner :-
The fibres of the straw are formed of cellulose containing in the state of com-
bination a considerable quantity of silica in the form of silicates. This silica acts
in straw nitro-cellulose in the same way as in dynamite, fixing the nitro-glycerine
and giving a stability to this substance which it does not possess when it is
alone. For this reason I prefer oat straws, which contain more silica, than the
other straws, although they also give good products.
The fragments of straw nitro-cellulose thus neutralized and retaining a slight
alkaline re-action, are put after having been drained into a nitric solution containing
dextrin, and if required powdered charcoal in a state of suspension. These solutions
vary with the uses to which the explosive is intended to be put.
As an example I will give various compositions of materials which I add to the
nitro-cellulose thus manufactured to constiture various explosives.
Nitre
(a.) Sporting explosive, solu-Hard wood charcoal
tion containing
Dextrin
Nitre
(b.) Explosive for rifles, solu-Hard wood charcoal
lution containing
(c.) Explosive for ordnance,
solution containing
Dextrin
Nitre
-
100
15
.
15
100
20
10
100'
Hard wood charcoal 20
Dextrin
10
The solution at a temperature of 8 to 9
degrees Baumé.
The solution at a temperature of 12 to 14
degrees.
☐ :
The solution at a temperature of 16 to 17
degrees.
After leaving the solution chosen in which the fragments have been steeped at
least an hour, care being taken to stir up the mixture at intervals, the said frag-
ments are drained and perfectly dried. This drying should be effected by means
similar to those employed to dry ordinary gunpowder.
The explosive thus obtained has a blasting force and a ballistic or shooting force
three times greater than those of gunpowder.
I may manufacture explosives of various compositions by varying the proportions
of the substances employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Elisée Cotte in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th February
1879.
ELISÉE COTTE, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, No. 23, at Paris, Industrial.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS." (A com-
munication from Amedée Lanfrey, of Chartres (Eure et Loire).
'
The object of this Invention is improvements in the manufacture of certain
explosive compounds, the basis of these new explosive substances consisting of
various straws, such as corn, rye, barley, oats, and buckwheat.
It is manufactured as follows:-
The straw is submitted to a boiling operation for 15 or 16 hours in an alkaline
solution (carbonate of soda or of potassium), weighing from 2° to 3° Baumé. In
this state the straw easily disintegrates, and the fatty or other soluble matters
which it contained are dissolved and carried off by the water when the latter is
withdrawn.
The fibres are then triturated and a perfect washing effected at the same time,
either by means of a cylinder stuff engine similar to those employed in paper mills,
or by means of revolving millstones, also similar to those used in such mills.
During the trituration a current of water should constantly wash the fibres.
It is essential that this pulp does not retain any alkaline re-action which is
ensured by adding sulphuric or hydrochloric acid in sufficient quantity that the
washing water has a slightly acid re-action.
The fibres thus triturated and prepared are, after having been perfectly dried,
ready to undergo the re-actions which render them explosive.
To facilitate the manipulations which follow the pulp is treated by a paper
machine and should produce a sheet weighing about 300 grammes the square metre.
The thickness may vary more or less
The sheet thus formed is cut either by hand by the aid of special tools, or
mechanically into little pieces of 3 to 4 millimetres square. These little pieces or
fragments are then immersed for 3 or 4 hours in an acid compound composed of
3 volumes of smoking ("fumant") azotic acid (at 46 to 48 degrees), and 7 volumes
of concentrated sulphuric acid (at 66 degrees) then withdrawn from the acid bath,
drained as much as possible, pressed, and finally well. washed with water until
there remains no trace of acid.
Any acid re-action is prevented by adding to the last washing water a little car-
bonate of potassium or of soda, and a little of this alkaline water is left in contact
with the little pieces or fragments for several hours.
The fragments may be immersed in a compound of nitrate of soda or potassium
and concentrated sulphuric acid for their more economic transformation into nitro-
cellulose, the result being the same.
Nitro-cellulose of straw is thus obtained, possessing the combined qualities of
great stability and energetic explosive property, qualities which cotton nitro-
cellulose does not possess.
Nitro-cellulose prepared according to this Invention has been kept for upwards
of three years without suffering any deterioration, nor losing any of its explosive
force, nor has any accident occurred resulting from spontaneous ignition during
the numerous experiments to which it has been subjected.
The cause of this stability (of such great importance in explosive bodies) is the
following:
The straw fibres are formed of cellulose containing when in a combined state a
considerable quantity of silica in the form of silicates. This silica in straw nitro-
cellulose plays a part analogous to that which it fulfils in dynamite, in which it
fixes the nitro-glycerine, and imparts an amount of stability to that substance
which it does not possess when alone. For this reason preference is given to corn

page_text: straw for the present process in consequence of its containing more silica than other
straws, although they may however produce good results.
The novelty of the chemical re-action of the azotic acid on vegetable fibres is
not claimed, as this has been known more than 30 years, but what is claimed is the
novelty of the product obtained from a disintegrated and purified raw material
which has never before been availed of for this purpose.
This production is not gun paper because the straw fibres purified as above
described would produce exactly the same explosive without being previously
transformed into paper which is only to facilitate the subsequent operations.
Considerable economy resulting from the employment of this raw material is
another advantage which is claimed for this Invention.
These pieces of straw nitro-cellulose thus neutralised but retaining a slight
alkaline re-action are placed (after having been drained) into a solution of nitre,
containing dextrin and sometimes powdered charcoal, in a state of suspension in
the liquid.
.
These solutions which are also claimed as part of the Invention vary according
to the uses for which the explosives are required.
The following is a table of the average proportions of the substances which they
should contain for obtaining explosive products with a basis of straw nitro-
cellulose and having various properties

page_text: Straw dynamite or "paleine" containing 50 per cent. of nitro-glycerine, hole 67
square centimetres.
Pure nitro-glycerine, hole 69 square centimetres.
Ten to fifteen per cent. of saltpetre may be added to the nitro-cellulose by way of
economy, but the explosive force is not increased thereby, the oxygen in excess of
the nitro-glycerine being sufficient to combine all the free carbon of the nitro-
cellulose. This combination explains the large quantity of gas produced by straw
dynamite or "paleine."
The advantages of this compound over gun-cotton dynamites are,-
1st. A greater physical stability, inertia, resistance to the mechanical action of
concussions or detonating bodies by reason of the silicates in combination in the
straw, consequently greater safety in its employment.
Secondly. Considerable economy. This straw dynamite or "paleine" like gun-
cotton dynamites does not freeze, and easily explodes at a very low temperature.
It always retains its plasticity.
Explosives of various compositions may be manufactured by varying the pro-
portions of the substances employed.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
1st. The improved process of manufacturing nitro-cellulose by means of straws,
disintegrated, triturated, washed, treated with acid, and then washed and dis-
accidulated as before described.
Secondly. Preparing sheets or leaves with these straws after their disintegration,
trituration, and washing, said sheets or leaves being formed to facilitate the manipu-
lations and the treating by acids as herein-before described.
Thirdly. The preparation of blasting or shooting explosives of various com-
positions by the compound of nitro-cellulose thus obtained with various substances,
such as nitre, hard wood charcoal, and dextrin, as herein-before described.
Fourthly. The preparation of a very energetic dynamite which is called straw
dynamite or "palleine," obtained by the compound of straw nitro-cellulose with
nitro-glycerine, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elisée Cotte, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirtieth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-nine.
Vitness,
(JULES ARMENGAUD, jeune,
of Paris,
Boulevard de Strasbourg, 23,
Civil Engineer.
ELISÉE COTTE. .(L.S.)