IMPROVEMENTS IN EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Civil-Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS to be as follows:-
In order to render gun cotton or nitrated cellulose and similar compounds loss
sensitive to concussion and less inflammable, it is now used especially for military
purposes in a moist condition. The presence of a small quantity of water renders
the compound much safer whilst it retains in a certain measure its explosive
properties.
Moist nitrocellulose has, however, certain drawbacks; thus the water added
decreases its explosive power, and also renders its detonation incomplete. Besides
it readily evaporates, so that dry or almost dry nitro cellulose becomes mixed with
the moist, which of course lessens the safety.
Now the object of this invention is so to prepare these explosive compounds that
the greatest amount of safety can be obtained without the drawbacks above mentioned.
To this end the nitro cellulose, nitro-mannite, nitrated starch, picrates or any
other fibrous or pulverulent explosive substance, the sensitiveness to concussion of
which it is desirable to reduce, is moistened with a combustible liquid with the
addition of nitrates or other oxydizers in the proportions requisite for perfect
combustion. The combustible liquids employed may be glycerine, sugar syrup,
organic oils, tar, nitro-benzol, and mineral oils. Solid combustible material such as
paraffins, stearine and naphthaline may also be used but they must be absorbed
when melted by the nitro-cellulose or other explosive substance as above mentioned.
Amongst the nitrates and other oxydizers before referred to, the nitrates of
ammonia, lime, magnesia zinc, soda, potash, copper, baryta, lead, the chlorates of
potash, soda and other substances may be mentioned.
Whenever a quick explosion is needed it is preferred to add glycerine in place
of the other combustible liquids named, for the reason that it dissolves large
quantities of various nitrates which being thus brought into atomic contact with
the combustible liquid as well as with the nitro-cellulose or other explosive
substance with which it is absorbed, ensures a violent explosive action.

page_text: 100 parts by weight of glycerine require about 70 parts by weight of free
oxygen for complete conversion to carbonic oxide and water vapour, and about
52 parts by weight more of oxygen for converting the carbonic oxide into carbonic
acid.
Glycerine readily dissolves even at the ordinary temperature such quantities of
the nitrates of lime, magnesia, zinc, soda, potash, ammonia, copper, baryta, and lead
collectively as are requisite for its complete combustion and the formation of
carbonic oxide and water vapour. Nitrates containing the extra quantity of oxygen
needed to convert the carbonic oxide into carbonic acid, need not be dissolved in the
glycerine, but may be added in the state of very fine powder and intimately
mixed. Preference is in this case given to nitrate of ammonia as being the most
powerful.
In preparing the composition above described a sufficient quantity of the nitrate
to liberate in the moment of explosion the oxygen needed for the combustion of the
glycerine, is dissolved in glycerine at say 50° centigrade more or less, as is required
to effect complete solubility.
When the nitrates are completely dissolved as much dry gun-cotton, or other
explosive substance, as the solution will conveniently take up is added. A pasty
mass is thus obtained, which although highly insensitive to shocks and far less
inflammable than dry gun cotton is readily exploded under strong confinement by
means of a powerful detonator such as is in common use for firing damp gun-cotton
and other sluggish explosive substances. This composition is eminently useful for
military purposes especially for charging shells and torpedoes, but it may also be
applied for any other purpose for which a powerful and safe explosive substance
may be required.
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page_text: I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 66 Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
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 order to diminish the risk attendant on the handling of guncotton or nitrated
cellulose and similar compounds, and render them less sensitive to concussion, sucli
substances are now used, especially for military purposes, in a moist condition, the
presence of a small quantity of water serving to ensure comparative safety in
handling, without materially affecting their explosive properties.
Moistened nitro-cellulose has, however, certain drawbacks, for the water added
decreases its explosive power, and also renders its detonation incomplete; besides,
the water readily evaporates, and thus dry or almost dry nitro-cellulose is found
mixed with the moist thereby detracting from the safety of the composition.
.
Now the object of this invention is so to prepare these explosive compounds as
to obtain the greatest amount of safety without the drawbacks above mentioned.―
To this end the nitro cellulose nitro mannite, nitrated starch, picrates or other
fibrous or pulverulent explosive substance, the sensitiveness to concussion of which
it is desirable to reduce, is moistened with a combustible liquid into which has been
absorbed a nitrate or other oxydiser in the proportion requisite for perfect com-
bustion. The combustible liquids employed may be glycerine, sugar, syrup, organic
oils, tar, nitro-benzol or mineral oil-Solid combustible material, such as paraffin,
stearine, and naphtháline, may also be used, but they must be absorbed, when
melted, by the nitro cellulose or other explosive substance above mentioned. Or
the nitrates and other oxydisors suitable for use, the nitrates of ammonia, lime,
magnesia, zinc, soda, potash, copper, baryta, lead, the chlorates of potash and soda,
may be mentioned,
Whenever a quick explosion is needed, preference is given to glycerine over the
other combustible liquids named, for the reason, that it dissolves large quantities
of various nitrates, which being thus brought into atomic contact with the com-
bustible liquid, as well as with the nitro cellulose or other explosive substance into
which it is absorbed, ensures a violent explosive action.-Glycerine, when
heated to 100° centigrade, readily dissolves various nitrates in such proportion
that the oxygen of such nitrates would suffice for the complete combustion of
all the carbon and hydrogen contained in the glycerine. 184 parts by weight
of nitrate of soda and 174 parts by weight of nitrate of ammonia, dissolved in
100 parts by weight of Glycerine, form, at the above temperature, a substance
which, under strong confinement, as for instance in a shell, and fired by means of
a detonator as used for dynamite, or a small charge of Gunpowder, explodes with
great power and violent action.-But when said compound cannot be used at a
bigh temperature, it behaves differently. At the ordinary temperature the
solubility in glycerine of nitrates such as those of Ammonia, potash, soda, lime,
magnesia, zinc, copper, baryta, and lead, is far less considerable, and only a semi-
explosive compound can thus be obtained, but it is a very suitable material to mix
with fibrous or pulverulent explosive substances of a very inflammable and
dangerous nature, the sensitiveness of which, especially to concussion, it is desirable
to reduce.
The chief sensitive explosives which I propose to treat according to my Invention
are. nitrated cellulose. Dicrate of potash. nitrated starch, and nitro mannite.

page_text: In order to reduce the sensitiveness of these substances, I saturate them with
nitrated glycerine, prepared by mixing together say 100 parts by weight of nitrate
of copper, 100 parts by weight of nitrate of zinc, and 100 parts by weight of
Glycerine. I may remark that this composition may, without inconvenience, be
greatly varied by substituting one of the heretofore mentioned nitrates for either
of these, taking care, however, to give preference to those which, at the ordinary
temperature, are most soluble in glycerine.
In the glycerine mixture prepared at the lowest temperaturo consistent with
.complete solution of the nitrates, I saturate the dry. nitrocellulose, picrate of
potash, nitrated starch, nitro mannite, or analagous substance, applying the same in
Buch quantity as to absorb the whole of the nitrate solution. I then allow the
.mixed materials to cool, after which the explosive substance thus obtained is ready
for use-1 part by weight of gun cotton mixed with. 2 parts by weight of the
aforesaid solution of nitrates in glycerine, forms a convenient composition for
charging shells, and is very insensitive to concussion.
I have said that other substances than glycerine may be used for dissolving the
nitrates, but generally I prefer glycerine as being the best solvent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
The treatment, as above described, of highly sensitive explosives, such as nitrated
cellulose, picrate of potash, nitro starch, and nitro mannite, with nitrated glycerine
or its equivalent, for the purpose of reducing their sensitiveness to concussion
without detracting from their efficiency.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1884