Year: 1899

page_text: I, WILLY Roos, Engineer, of 34, Bad Street, Berlin, N., in the Empire of Ger-
many, 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 :—
In view of the rapid extension of the mining industries and the increased employ-
ment of explosives for various purposes, it has become a matter of the greatest
importance to find an explosive, which whilst being thoroughly effective in its action,
is safe to handle and cheap to manufacture.
A highly important point in connection with this invention is that of cheapness.
The process forming the subject matter of the present application secures all these
points.
Up till now highly powerful explosives have not been successfully manufactured
from ordinary nitrate of sodium and nitrate of potassium as oxidizing agents, owing
to its having been impossible to obtain a highly explosive, complete transformation-
into a gaseous state of these bodies by the admixture of carbonizing agents which
themselves require oxygen for their decomposition.
Nitrate of soda, although the cheapest source of oxygen, is not therefore employed
in the manufacture of explosive; its use, owing to its hygroscopic qualities, even for
the preparation of gunpowder being very restricted.
Even the admixture of nitrate of soda in those explosives which have nitrate of
ammonia as a base has not yielded favorable results, as the hygroscopic properties
of the nitrate of ammonia, in itself highly hygroscopic, is thus considerably increased;
nor are the small quantities of carbonizing agents, the admixture of which is
necessary in nitrate of ammonia explosives, sufficient to constitute a protecting
cover.
Owing to its hygroscopic properties also, the use of nitrate of soda even for ex-
plosive compounds containing nitro-glycerine is impracticable, as these compounds
greatly lose in quality if stored.
The nitro glycerine explosives manufactured with nitrate of potash, the so-called
carbonides all possess the disadvantages of nitro-glycerine compounds in a greater
or less degree, such as liability to freeze and danger in handling.
I have now succeeded, however, in obtaining at very low cost the highest nitro-
substitution products of naphtaline, benzol, toluol and other carbonizing agents:
and I use these products for the manufacture of explosives with nitrate of potash
or nitrate of soda, either alone, or with the addition of small amounts of other
oxidizing agents, to get the desired high explosive power, that is to produce a
more pushing than breaking effect.

page_text: The di or tri-nitro-compounds are fused by superheated steam in suitable vessels
according to their respective points of fusion, and the well dried, finely powdered
oxidizing agents intimately mixed therewith.
As it is necessary to add to the saltpetre large amounts of the di- or tri-
nitro-compounds insoluble in water, in order to arrive at a complete decomposition
there is here provided an excellent means for covering the hygroscopic oxidizing
agents.
The process of manufacture is in all respects entirely without danger, and the
finished products are perfectly safe against blows, fire or friction.
The explosive power is fully equal to that of the best gelatine dynamite.
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 process of manufacturing explosives which whilst thoroughly effective in
action are safe to handle and cheaply produced, consisting in the admixture of
nitrate of soda or potash, either alone or with the addition of small amounts of
other oxidizing agents, with the di- or tri-nitro-substitution products of benzol, toluol
and naphtaline, substantially as herein described.