Year: 1887

page_text: I CARL ROTH of Charlottenburg 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 :-
This Invention relates to improvements in the production and application of the
organic components or constituents for explosives described in the Provisional
Specification accompanying my application for a Patent dated 14 July in the year of
Our Lord 1886 No. 9766. As described in the said Provisional Specification
chlornitro (or chlorated and nitrated) compounds which, when mixed with oxygen
bearing substances, possess certain specific explosive properties, are obtained by the
chlorating and nitrating (in succession or simultaneously) coal tar and coal tar
products. The chlornitro combinations of benzol phenol, kresol (kresylic acid) and
napthaline are especially valuable in this respect and I have now discovered that, these
primary materials are also suitable for manufacturing the said components or
ingredients for explosives when they do not originate from coal tar but are obtained
from other sources.
The ingredients produced as described in my aforesaid provisional specification when
used as explosive agents in combination with substances containing oxygen possess
the properties of very rapid combustion in exploding and of requiring a strong flame
or flash such as that produced by fulminate of mercury to explode them. Further
investigations conducted with the object of rendering the explosives made with these
new ingredients more efficacious in practice that is to say of rendering them less
sudden or violent in their action and easier or cheaper to explode have led to the
present improvements hereinafter described.
To the blasting mixture or compound consisting of chlornitro (chlorated and
nitrated) products and substances yielding oxygen I now add a small per centage of
sulphur. This sulphur diminishes the suddenness or rapidity of the explosion and
augments the "heaving" or splitting action on the one hand and on the other hand
increases the certainty and ease with which the charge can be exploded and enables
the compound to be exploded by ordinary powder provided that the charge is
completely shut in or enclosed between solid walls (being placed in well tamped holes
in granite for example). This addition of sulphur is especially advantageous in the
case of chlornitro products of benzol, phenol, kresol, (kresylic acid) and napthaline.
mixed with nitrate of ammonia as the oxidising agent. The quantity of sulphur to be
added is regulated according to the amount of oxygen available in the oxidising agent
employed and according to the degree of facility with which the oxygen is given off.
When nitrate of potash is employed as the oxygen yielding substance the quantity of
sulphur to be added to the blasting mixture prepared as described in my said

page_text: provisional specification in order to impart to it the aforesaid qualities amounts to
from about three to four per cent by weight. The quantity of sulphur used may in
some cases amount to as much as fifteen per cent without depriving the compound of
its explosive character. Such large proportions of sulphur are to be employed in
cases where the explosive is required to partake more of the character of gun powder
the action being of a propelling rather than of a splitting or destructive nature. When
nitrate of ammonia is used as the oxygen yielding agent a per centage of sulphur
amounting to from about one to two per cent of the total weight of the explosive
mixture prevents the blasting charge from producing an excessively disentegrating
and pulverising action in blasting coal for example and diminishes the waste in dust.
The most advantageous way of adding the sulphur is to melt it with the chlor-nitro
products as almost all these substances dissolve more or less sulphur and retain it in a
homogeneous form when they set or stiffen. When not convenient to melt the
materials together the sulphur is to be added to the other ingredients of the blasting
mixture or compound in a finely pulverised condition.
The said chronitro products can also be used with simply nitrated aromatic
compounds such for example as nitro benzol dinitro benzol and the like in combination
with oxygen yielding substances-This method of employing the materials is not so
suitable for the chlorated and nitrated coal tar itself but is more especially applicable
with the chlornitro or chlorated and nitrated compounds of benzol and phenol kresol
(kresylic acid) and napthaline.
The following are examples of blasting mixtures of this description.
1 part dinitro chloro phenol
0.5 nitro benzol
"
0.5
"
"2
dinitro benzol
nitro of potash
2.5
nitrate of ammonia.
""
II
1 part picric acid
1 trinitro chlor napthaline
29
2.5 nitrate of ammonia
وو
1.5 nitrate of potash
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is.
First. The addition of sulphur or of purer nitro products to the components or
constituents of explosives or blasting compounds produced by chlorating and nitrating
benzol, phenol, kresol (kresylic acid) and naphthaline or to mixtures thereof with
oxygen yielding substances such as nitrate of ammonia for the purpose of facilitating
the exploding and producing a better "heaving" action for blasting purposes
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. In the manufacturer of components or constituents of explosives or blasting
compounds according to the process hereinbefore referred to the employment
substantially as hereinbefore described of benzol, phenol, kresol, (kresylic acid) and
naphthalene not derived from coal tar.