Improvements in Explosives.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1887
Specification Accepted, 1st Nov., 1887
Improvements in Explosives.
A communication to me from abroad by RUDOLF SJÖBERG, of Stockholin, in the
Kingdom of Sweden.
1, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex
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 (that is to say):-
This invention relates more especially to the invention for which applied for
Letters Patent dated 11th day of January 1887, and numbered 448, and it has for its
object further improvements in the said former invention.
The explosive which forms the subject of the present invention is prepared in a solid
form and contains neither nitro-glycerine, nitro-cellulose nor nitro-benzine.
It may
be employed for blasting operations in mines and in quarries as well as for use in guns
and for filling torpedoes.
The preparation of the explosive is carried out in such a manner that nitrate of
ammonia is mixed with melted purified solid hydrocarbon, and is gelatinized with
liquid hydrocarbon, or with only one or with more melted hydrocarbons. By means
of the gelatinization, each particle of the salt is impermeably enclosed in a layer of
gelatinous material so that the hygroscopical properties of the nitrate of ammonia
in the open air, are prevented.
Among the solid hydrocarbons I use naphthaline, paraffine and the like, and among
the liquid hydrocarbons I use purified paraffine or what is known as "astral" oil.
In order to facilitate the explosion or discharge of the above substance and to
increase its explosive power I add thereto finely powdered chlorate of potash either in
its pure state or after it has been gelatinized in the same manner as the nitrate of
ammonia. The salts treated in this manner when mixed together do not come into
direct contact with one another.

page_text: The explosive prepared in the herein before described manner has at least as great an
explosive power as any other explosive heretofore ordinarily manufactured, but the
former possesses a greater amount of safety than the latter whether in the course of
manufacture or when being transported or manipulated, the said improved explosive
being only capable of being exploded in an enclosed space and by means of a strong
fuze cap.
When in its free or unconfined state the substance never explodes either by
blows, fire, or even by the action of the fuze cap. The explosive is moreover thoroughly
insensible to the action of cold. Other salts of ammonia may be used.
A modification of the process consists in the nitrate of ammonia gelatinized as
above described by means of hydrocarbon being mixed with whey (or cheesy matter,
sugar of milk or the like), obtained from milk, after the preparation has been subjected
to treatment with two parts of nitric acid of 1-40 to 1.50 and four parts of sulphuric
acid of 1.82 to 1.84 specific weight, to one part of the substance, the superfluous
acids being removed by washing.
The product obtained by this method is a grey powder insoluble in water which can
be easily exploded by means of a dynamite fuze cap and can be used either as a
substitute for chlorate of potash or alone as an explosive.
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 :—
1. The preparation of an explosive from nitrate of ammonia which is mixed with a
solid melted hydro-carbon and which is gelatinized with a liquid hydrocarbon or only
with melted solid hydrocarbon, and contains pure or similarly gelatinized chlorate of
potash, substantially as herein described.
2. The extension of the gelatinizing process to ammonia salts generally which are
mixed with a melted solid hydrocarbon, and gelatinized by means of liquid hydrocarbon
or only of melted solid hydrocarbon, substantially as herein described.
3. The substitution for the chlorate of potash mentioned in claim 1, of gelatinized
nitrate of ammonia and whey by mixing the two prepared products, or the use of
whey treated by acids as an independent explosive substantially as herein described.
Dated this 27th day of August 1887.
EDWARDS & Co.,
Agents for the Inventor.