IMPROVEMENTS IN EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I, GEORGE GUILLAUME ANDRÉ of Havelock Cottage Dorking in the County of
Surrey, Eléctrician and Chemist do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
•
In the Specification of a patent application bearing even date with this present
application and numbered 13475 I have described a compound which when liquefied
by heat is rendered available as an ingredient or element in the compounding of
explosives by saturation of certain oxidants in the said compound when liquefied.
According to that invention I compound paraffine wax and linseed oil in about
equal proportions by bulk or weight under a gentle heat and while stirring. When
this compound has cooled down, it has about the consistency of butter in cold
weather. This compound which I call the "combustible" forms a suitable and
valuable element in the compounding of various explosives, and has the peculiar
property of retaining its consistency to a great extent when mixed with hydro-
carbon liquids, and with certain other liquids such as bisulphide of carbon. In
order to cheapen this combustible I may without material detriment mix it with
hydro-carbons such as petroleum even to the extent of about four or five times its
own bulk. I also in the said patent application describe the applications of the
said combustible for the manufacture of blasting gunpowder..
Now according to this present invention I combine the combustible with a
mixture of about equal parts of saltpeter and chlorate of potash and to avoid the
danger of mixing sulphur with the chlorate, I add the sulphur in the form of
bisulphide of carbon to the combustible while the latter is in the liquefied state.
The proportion may be about two of the paraffine and oil compound, one of the
petroleum admixture, and two of the bisulphide of carbon. The cartridges are
saturated in this combustible as before described.
An important feature in this explosive is that the bisulphide of carbon which is
very volatile and the vapours of which ignite at a relatively low temperature
becomes practically fixed in the mass which solidifies nearly to the consistency
stated in a few minutes after removal from the saturating or dipping bath.
To make a still more powerful explosive I omit the saltpeter using the chlorate
of potash alone as the oxidizing ingredient.

page_text: The saturating of the aforesaid compounds takes only about one to three
minutes all according to the size of the cartridge.
"
The "combustible is not in itself explosive and may therefore be kept and
transported with safety; it also permanently retains its nature and form. The
oxidants may also be kept and transported without risk.
An important feature of this invention is that although the linseed and the
petroleum and the bisulphide of carbon which constitute the main portion of
the combustible are cach naturally liquid yet when combined in the manner before
described they assume a semi-solid state.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First A compound consisting of paraffine wax, linseed oil, and bisulphide of
carbon as the combustible ingredient for explosives substantially as set forth.
Second: A compound consisting of paraffine wax linseed oil and bisulphide of
carbon in combination with a hydro carbon liquid for the purpose of producing the
combustible in a cheaper form substantially as set forth.
:-
Third A blasting cartridge consisting of a porous envelope which contains
powdered saltpeter and chlorate of potash as the oxidizing ingredients of the
explosive which ingredients together with the envelope are impregnated with the
hereinbefore described combustible ingredient while the latter is in a liquefied state
substantially as set forth.
Fourth A blasting cartridge consisting of a porous envelope which contains
chlorate of potash as the oxidizing ingredient of the explosive which ingredient
together with the envelope is impregnated with the herein before described com-
bustible while the latter is in a liquefied state substantially as set forth.
Dated this Wouth day of