IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eugène Turpin of N° 56 rue de la Victoire, Paris in the
Republic of France, Civil Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eugène Turpin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th April 1883.
EUGENE TURPIN of N° 56 rue de la Victoire, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVE
COMPOUNDS
"
I have discovered that substances of a bituminous or tarry nature such as
asphalte, bitumen, pitch, and tars of vegetable or mineral origin, whether they be
dry or liquid when placed in contact with one or more substances rich in oxygen,
such as chlorates, nitrates, permanganates and-the like form explosive compounds
and that certain of these compounds act either like ordinary gunpowder or like
dynamite according to the mode of ignition which is employed to explode them
whilst others give only one of these two effects.
In manufacturing explosive compounds according to this invention I employ dry
or hard pitch or liquid or soft pitch or a mixture of these two substances according
to whether a pulverulent, a pasty or a semi-pasty compound is required.
The following proportions by weight are those which I have found to produce
an excellent explosive producing the two effects herein before named, videlicet :—
Pulverized Chlorate of potash or chlorate of soda about ten parts; pulverized
nitrate of lead about five parts; pulverized nitrate of potash or nitrate of soda
about five parts; pulverized dry pitch from coal tar about two and a half parts; and
liquid pitch from coal tar about two and a half parts.
If it be required to increase the sensitiveness of the mixture and to render it
alkaline the following is added. Pulverized permanganate of potash one part;
pulverized carbonate or bi-carbonate of soda two parts.
I have found by experiment that nitrate of lead and permanganate of potash,
either singly or mixed will in many cases produce the same effects as chlorate of

page_text: potash and even replace it when mixed with tars and bitumens whilst it also
increases the sensitiveness of the explosive compound thus produced.
I can in order to produce a powerful explosive producing the two effects employ
only chlorate of potash and in this case I make the mixture of the following
proportions, videlicet:-
Pulverized chlorate of potash about eighty parts by weight; pulverized dry pitch
about ten parts by weight; and liquid pitch about ten parts by weight, or, instead
of the two latter, twenty parts of either.
I can also by employing only nitrates produce the same results by mixing :-
Pulverized nitrate of lead about forty parts by weight; pulverized nitrate of potash
about forty parts by weight; pulverized dry pitch about ten parts by weight and
liquid pitch about ten parts by weight, or, instead of the two latter, twenty parts
of either.
By omitting from this last named formula the nitrate of potash and raising the
proportion of nitrate of lead to one hundred parts for twenty parts of pitch the
mixture thus obtained will no longer act like ordinary gun-powder but like
dynamite only. If on the contrary the nitrate of lead be omitted and the pro-
portion of nitrate of potash be increased to one hundred parts for thirty parts of
pitch the compound will only have the effects of gun-powder. These two last
named compounds produce only one of the two effects hereinbefore named. More-
over I have found that bitumens and tars will form explosive mixtures when they
are mixed with the substances. rich in oxygen hereinbefore mentioned in the
proportion of from five to forty per cent of the weight of these substances.
"
The explosive compound producing the two effects herein before described when
lighted either in the open air or in a mine by means of the "Bickford" fuse, acts
like gunpowder, if, on the contrary, under the same conditions, the "Bickford
fuse be terminated by a detonator, for example by a priming charged with two or
three grammes of fulminate of mercury, its ignition produces a violent explosion
analogous in its effects to those of dynamite, nitrated compounds, gun cotton, and
the like.
The explosive compound giving only one of the hereinbefore named effects is
exploded according to its nature either as gunpowder or as dynamite by means of
one of these two methods of ignition. The explosives of which I have just
described the manufacture, can be mixed with gun cotton, nitro-glycerine, dynamite
and the like
4:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Eugène Turpin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th October
1883.
EUGENE TURPIN, of 56, Rue de la Victoire, Paris in the Republic of
France, Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVE
COMPOUNDS
This invention relates to the manufacture of an explosive compound producing
two effects, that is to say, an explosive compound which acts similarly to ordinary
gunpowder but with about three times greater power, provided the ignition of
the charge be effected simply by fire, or which produces powerful explosions or
effects even in open air, similar to those produced by dynamite, if the ignition of
the charge be effected by the initial explosion of a suitable detonator such, for
example, as one having a priming consisting of a grain of fulminate of mercury.
At present there are but two known kinds of powder.
(1). Ordinary gunpowder which is exploded by fire alone and the properties of
which are not changed if it is ignited by a detonator.
(2) Powerful explosive compounds such as dynamite and other compounds having
nitro-glycerine for a base which only produce their destructive effects by the
ignition obtained by means of a detonator, but which burn steadily and slowly
if they are ignited as ordinary gunpowder is ignited, by fire alone without initial
explosion.
By my invention explosive compounds are obtained capable of producing at will
either the effects of gunpowder or those of dynamite according to the mode of
ignition which is employed to explode them. The invention will be of great value
to mining engineers, contractors for public works, and others, The improved
explosive compound is applicable for mining purposes both civil and military, for
charging hollow projectiles, and for other civil and military purposes where an
explosive compound is required. As, however, the compound leaves a slight
residue and produces very rapid effects it cannot with advantage be employed for
charging firearms.
In manufacturing the explosive compound according to this invention I malaxate
together, by any suitable means, mechanical or otherwise, about eighty parts by
weight of pulverized chlorate of potash K. OCI O³ and twenty parts of ordinary
coal gas tar. According to the degree of fluidity of the coal gas tar I add, to
facilitate the desiccation, from one to ten per cent of a suitable porous absorbent
substance, such as powdered wood charcoal, silica, kieselguhr, randanite and the
like. For ordinary powder the mixture is dried and grained. The graining is not
absolutely necessary as the dust (or meal) of this powder will give good results,.
especially for causing an explosion similar to dynamite under the action of a
detonator.
If it is desired to increase the sensitiveness of the compound, from one to ten
per cent of permanganate of potash is substituted for from one to ten per cent of
the chlorate of potash. If on the contrary it is desired to diminish the sensi-
tiveness, in place of fifty per cent of the chlorate of potash I use fifty per cent of
saltpetre (nitrate of potash) or for any less quantity than fifty per cent of the
chlorate of potash an equal quantity of saltpetre. In the latter case by employing
nitrate of lead in place of saltpetre I obtain greater sensitiveness. The other
nitrates can also be employed with equal advantage in the composition under the
same conditions.
It will thus be seen that it is by the variations of the oxydizing bodies in

page_text: presence of a single combustible substance that I cause the effects obtained to be
varied which is contrary to the accepted theory according to which the effects
vary by the variations of the combustible materials, such as charcoal, sulphur or
others.
Having thus described my said invention and the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into effect what I claim is :—
The herein described manufacture of an explosive compound capable of producing
either the effects of ordinary gunpowder or those of dynamite, by means of the
mixtures above described.
In Witness (whereof I the said Eugène Turpin have hereto set my hand 1
and seal this eighteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three
'