Improvements in the Manufacture of Gunpowder.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gunpowder.
I, HUBERT KOLF, of 12, Bornheimerstrasse Bonn-on-the-Rhine, in the Empire
of Germany, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of gunpowder.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me dated 7th June 1890,
No. 8811, I described a process for the manufacture of gunpowder capable of being
handled with safety and producing little or no smoke such process consisting in
combining sulphur with a nitrated carbohydrate by treating the latter with alkaline
sulphides under pressure, and subsequently charging it with an alkaline nitrate by
treatment with a solution of an alkaline nitrate under pressure, and finally
combining the product so obtained with a dinitrocarbohydrate or with dinitro-
cellulose and moulding it in presses.
I have found in practice that this process may be modified or rendered more
simple in its details, especially when manufacturing a blasting explosive. In this
case the employment of pressure in the process as described, or in the nitration of
the said carbohydrate materials, amongst which cellulose is included, may be
dispensed with. In certain cases, especially in the manufacture of a blasting.
explosive in which the time of combustion requires no special regulation, the
combination of the nitrated carbohydrate with sulphur, as above described, may be
omitted. Further, after nitrating a carbohydrate material, of whatever kind, the
nitration being effected in the usual way in closed vessels under pressure if desired,
the nitrated mass after being combined with sulphur by treatment with a solution
of an alkaline sulphide it being placed in closed vessels under pressure if preferred,
and thus exposed to the action of the solution, or without being thus combined with
sulphur, may be saturated with a solution of an alkaline nitrate either without
pressure, or if preferred in closed vessels under pressure. After this impregnation
it is to be rapidly washed once, before drying, with cold water and then dried at
about 80° C.
Instead of simply mixing this mass with a solution of dinitrocarbohydrate and
then shaping it, as in my former process for the manufacture of gunpowder, it may
be mixed with nitrosugar, nitrotreacle, or nitroglycerine, and the mixture heated to
about 40° to 60° C. so that a partially gelatinous mass is obtained, which by
kneading or rolling is transformed into one which is completely plastic, and can thus
be shaped in any desired manner, into grains, prisms or the like. The product so
obtained is impervious to water, burns under water, and can be fired under water
directly, without being encased.
Dated this 1st day of December 1809
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gunpowder.
1, HUBERT KOLF, of 12, Bornheimerstrasse Bonn-on-the-Rhine, in the Empire
of Germany, Chemist, 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 :-
My invention relates to the manufacture of gunpowder or blasting explosive.

page_text: In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me dated 7th June 1890,
No. 8811, I described a process for the manufacture of gunpowder capable of being
handled with safety and producing little or no smoke, such process consisting in
combining sulphur with a nitrated carbohydrate by treating the latter with alkaline
sulphides under pressure, and subsequently charging it with an alkaline nitrate by
treatment with a solution of an alkaline nitrate under pressure, and finally combining
the product so obtained with a dinitrocarbohydrate or with dinitrocellulose and
moulding it in presses.
I have found in practice that this process may be modified or rendered more
simple in its details, especially when manufacturing a blasting explosive. In this
case the employment of pressure in the process as described, or in the nitration of
the said carbohydrate materials, amongst which cellulose is included, may be
dispensed with. In certain cases, especially in the manufacture of a blasting
explosive in which the time of combustion requires no special regulation, the
combination of the nitrated carbohydrate with sulphur, as above described, may be
omitted. Further, after nitrating a carbohydrate material, of whatever kind, the
nitration being effected in the usual way in closed vessels under pressure if desired,
the nitrated mass after being combined with sulphur by treatment with a solution of
an alkaline sulphide, it being placed in closed vessels under pressure if preferred,
and thus exposed to the action of the solution, or without being thus combined with
sulphur, may be saturated with a solution of an alkaline nitrate either without
pressure, or if preferred in closed vessels under pressure. After this impregnation
it is to be rapidly washed once, before drying with cold water and then dried at
about 80° C.
Instead of simply mixing this mass with a solution of dinitrocarbohydrate and
then shaping it, as in my former process for the manufacture of gunpowder, it may
be mixed with nitrosugar, nitrotreacle, or nitroglycerine, and the mixture heated to
about 40° to 60° C. so that a partially gelatinous mass is obtained, which by
kneading or rolling is transformed into one which is completely plastic, and can
thus be shaped in any desired manner, into grains, prisms or the like. The product
so obtained is impervious to water, burns under water, and can be fired under water
directly, without being encased.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The manufacture of gunpowder or blasting explosive by first impregnating a
nitrated carbohydrate material (which may be treated if desired, with a solution of
an alkaline sulphide) with a solution of an alkaline nitrate, subsequently drying it,
and afterwards mixing it with nitrosugar, nitrotreacle, or nitroglycerine, the mass
being then heated to about 40° to 60° C. so as to obtain a partially gelatinous mass
which is reduced to a completely plastic form by simply rolling, kneading or pressing
it, after which it can be moulded into any desired shape, substantially as herein-
before described.
Dated the 7th day of Santamber 1902