Improvements in Explosives.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar,, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1.91
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by STEPHEN HENRY EMMENS, of Emmens,
County of Westmoreland, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Engineer].
Improvements in Explosives.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the production of explosives of the gun-cotton class in
such a manner as to render them more stable and more powerful than has hitherto
been the case and it is carried into effect in the following manner.
In a bath of mixed sulphuric and nitric acids of the strength ordinarily
employed in the manufacture of gun-cotton unsized paper is steeped for a period of
about two minutes. The paper is then removed from the acid bath and washed
one or more times in cold water; after which it is immersed in a cold aqueous
solution of carbonate of ammonia and kept therein until all effervescence ceases.
It is then removed to another bath containing a strong solution of picric acid
heated to a temperature of 100 degrees Centigrade or thereabouts. In this bath
the paper is allowed to remain for about ten minutes and is then suspended in
another vessel containing ammoniacal water until the adhering picric acid is by
the action of the gaseous ammonia in the atmosphere of the vessel converted into
picrate of ammonia. The paper is then removed and dried when it becomes ready
for use as an explosive, either for the manufacture of cartridges for firearms or in
any other way that may be desired.
If a granulated explosive be required I employ any of the various forms of pulp
used for paper making, in preference to treating finished paper. The process
to which such pulp is subjected is identical with that above described in the case
of paper.
The explosive substances thus produced differ from the ordinary forms of gun-
cotton, gun paper and nitro-cellulose in the following respects-
-
First. All free acid adhering after removal from the nitrifying bath is effectually
neutralized by the carbonate of ammonia.
Second. The nitrate of ammonia formed in the pores of the substance is decom-
posed by the picric acid bath and the nitric acid thus set free tends to complete the
nitrification of any particles of unchanged or partially changed cellulose.
Third. The process of manufacture causes the pores of the substance to become
charged with picrate of ammonia which in itself is a powerful explosive.
Dated this 11th day of March 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Explosives.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
0 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 :-
The object of my invention is the production of explosives of the gun-cotton class
in such a manner as to render them more stable and more powerful than has hitherto
hoon the asse

page_text: I prefer to carry my invention into effect in the following manner, viz. :—
In a bath of mixed sulphuric and nitric acid of the strength ordinarily employed
in the manufacture of gun-cotton, I steep unsized paper for a period of about two
minutes. I then remove the paper and wash it a number of times successively with
cold water. After this I place the washed paper in a bath consisting of a cold
aqueous solution of carbonate of ammonia and allow it to remain therein until all
:effervescence ceases. I then remove the paper to another bath containing a strong
solution of picric acid heated to a temperature of 100° Centigrade, or thereabout.
In this bath the paper is allowed to remain for about ten minutes and is then
suspended in another vessel containing ammoniacal water until the adhering picric
acid is by the action of the gaseous ammonia in the atmosphere of the vessel
converted into picrate of ammonia. The paper is then removed and dried, when
it becomes ready for use as an explosive either for the manufacture of cartridges
for fire-arms or in any other way that may be desired.
If a granulated explosive be required I employ any of the various forms of pulp
used for paper-making, in preference to treating finished paper.
The process to which such pulp is subjected is identical with that above described
in the case of paper.
The explosive substances this produced differ from the ordinary forms of gun-
cotton, gun-paper, and nitro-lignose in the following respects.
First. All free acid adhering after removal from the nitrifying bath is effectually
.neutralized by the carbonate of ammonia.
Second. The nitrate of aminonia formed in the pores of the substance is
decomposed by the picric acid bath and the nitric acid- thus set free- tends
to complete the nitrification of any particles of unchanged or partially changed
cellulose.
Third. The exposure to an atmosphere of ammonia not only neutralizes any
remaining free acid but causes the pores of the substance to become charged with
picrate of ammonia which in itself is a powerful explosive.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed; as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
An explosive substance consisting of paper or paper-stock converted into a
nitro compound and impregnated with ammonia and picric acid, substantially as
described.
.
1000