An Improved Process for Producing Nitropentaerythrite and a Smokeless Explosive therewith.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
An Improved Process for Producing Nitropentaerythrite and a
Smokeless Explosive therewith.
I, BRUNO THIEME, Doctor, of Siegburg, Dear Cologne, in the Empire of
Germany, 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 consists in a process for producing nitropentaerythrite and utilizing
the same in the manufacture of a smokeless explosive.
To produce nitropentaerythrite, the process is as follows;-
The product known under the name of pentaerythrite resulting from the conden-
sation of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde in presence of lime and having its fusing
point between 190 and 260 degrees C. is reduced to a very fine powder and is then
dissolved in nitric acid and precipitated by concentrated sulphuric acid or may be
brought into a mixture of nitric acid and sulphuric acid.
The crystalline solid that is thereby separated is removed from the liquid,
washed with water, and any acid that is left in contact with it is neutralized by a
diluted solution of soda. This substance is then pulverized while in a moist
condition and the powder thus obtained is dried.
The nitropentaerythrite thus produced may be pressed or brought into a
granulated form for use as a smokeless explosive, or it may be intimately mixed in
the most finely pulverized form with nitro cellulose.
This latter mixture is under addition of a solvent such as acetone, acetic ether,
ether-alcohol, nitro-hydrocarbon, nitro-glycerine, camphor etc. gelatinized in
kneading machines and the paste is either rolled out or forced through small holes
to form threads which are then cut, dried and where the solvent is readily volatilized
or removed, freed therefrom by washing with water; alcohol or the like. The
product thus obtained is finished in the usual way.
The nitropentaerythrite produced in conformity with the above described process
possesses the quality of melting when heated in a flame and will then burn
away very steadily. It is owing to this quality that nitropentaerythrite, when
added to other explosives produces a mixture having the quality of very uniform
combustion.
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. The method of producing nitropentaerythrite consisting in nitrogenizing by
known methods the product known under the name of pentaerythrite resulting from
the condensation of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde in the presence of lime.
2. The production of a smokeless explosive by nitrogenizing pentaerythrite, thus
constituting nitropentaerythrite and granulating the product.
3. The production of a smokeless gunpowder consisting in mixing nitropentaery-
thrite with nitro-cellulose, such as gun cotton, collodion, nitro starch or the like,
gelatinizing the mixture by means of acetic-ether, acetone, ether-alcohol, nitro-
hydro-carbon, nitroglycerine, camphor and similar known solvents.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1894
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.