An Improved Explosive.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Explosive.
We, THOMAS HUSSEY KELLY, of "Glenyarrah," Double Bay, Gentleman, GEORGE
W. BELL, of Mutual Life Chambers, Martin Place, Author, and ROBERT NEWBY
KIRK, Secretary, of "Forest Knoll," Denham Street, all of Sydney, in the Colony
of New South Wales, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
nanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement: -
This invention has been devised for the purpose of producing an explosive
compound which may be used in cartridges or as a free running powder or may
be used as an ingredient in combination with other materials in other explosives
and one that can be cheaply and easily produced and whose strength of explosive
quality may be varied.
In order to the manufacture of this improved explosive the leaves of trees
or plants are nitrated by immersion in a mixture of sulphuric acid and nitric
acid (which has become comparatively cool) the product afterwards washed
either in water or in weak alkali solution dried and converted into a powder.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood we will now
describe the process by which this improved explosive is produced.
Sulphuric acid and nitric acid in the proportion of two parts of the former
to one of the latter are mixed in a suitable containing vessel wherein the
mixture is allowed to stand until chemical action ceases and it becomes com-
paratively cool.
Leaves of trees or plants are then immersed in this mixture for a time
depending upon the structure of such leaves and whether the nitration should
be more or less complete. The time as also the temperature and method of
immersion are regulated by the operator who should be skilled in the art of
manufacturing explosives. Any leaves of trees or plants could be used as
the basis of the improved explosive although we prefer to use the leaves of the
Australian Eucalypti and the Australian Melaleuca. We find that if the
Eucalypti leaves are immersed in the mixed acid from 15 to 30 minutes that
satisfactory results are attained the nitration during the shorter interval being
sufficient to produce an explosive while the nitration on the longer period pro-
ducing a high explosive. Generally the time of immersion would range from
a half to a whole minute depending upon as before stated the structure of the
leaves and this time of immersion can be well gauged from the results obtained.
The nitrated leaves now a mass are removed from this mixed acid and the
mass then thoroughly washed until the free acid is removed. The washing fluid
may be either water or water containing an alkali or if preferred the nitrated
mass may be first washed in water and then in water containing an alkali the
desired result being that the nitrated mass shall be free from acid either by said
acid being washed out or being neutralised.
The washed nitrated mass is then thoroughly dried by exposure to the heat
of the sun or to currents of dry air or by subjecting it to mild heat in an
oven.

page_text: This dried nitrated mass is then passed through a sieve or sieves which
disintegrates it and converts it into a powder of greater or less fineness
regulated by the mesh of the sieves used and this powder is our improved
explosive.
This improved explosive manufactured as hereinbefore described in the form
of the powder is then in a condition to be used practically. It may be pressed
into blocks of any desired shape it may be loaded into cartridges of any size
or weight it may be used as a free running powder or it may be used in
combination with other materials to form other explosives.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
An improved explosive manufactured by nitrating the leaves of the trees
or plants set forth in a mixture of sulphuric acid and nitric acid, freeing the
nitrated mass from acid, thoroughly drying the same and disintegrating it sub-
stantially as herein described and explained.
Dated this Fifteenth day of March One thousand eight hundred and ninety
mne.
T. H. KELLY,
GEO. W. BELL,
ROBERT NEWBY KIRK,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.