Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosive Compounds.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosive Compounds.
I, EDUARD LIEBERT, of 43 Friedrichstrasse, Berlin, S.W., in the Empire of
Germany, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of explosive compounds.
.
A great disadvantage of nitroglycerine and the dynamite produced from the same
consists in their sensitiveness to blows or shocks and in the property of congealing.
In order to obviate these defects, various substances have heretofore been added to
the glycerine such as for example nitrobenzol.
Altho nitrobenzol possesses the property of rendering nitroglycerine less sensitive
to blows or shocks, and lowering the freezing point thereof it has the disadvantage of
considerably decreasing the explosive force of the nitroglycerine, and the mixture
leaving behind undecomposed vapours of nitrobenzol after the explosion, which
vapours are much more dangerous when inhaled than the gases produced by the
explosion of the nitroglycerine itself.
Isoamylnitrate has been found to be a substance which, added to nitroglycerine,
presents all the advantages of nitrobenzol, without having the above-mentioned
defects.
Nitroglycerine, mixed with five per cent. of isoamylnitrate, does not commence to
freeze at 35 degrees below zero, its sensitiveness to blows or shocks is much less than
that of pure nitroglycerine, the explosive force is greater than that of pure nitro-
glycerine, and as isoamylnitrate under certain circumstances is an explosive substance,
it will be completely decomposed by the explosion, and the gases produced scarcely
differ from those which are produced by the explosion of pure nitroglycerine, and
are not poisonous as are vapours of nitrobenzol. Moreover, isoamylnitrate is cheaper
than nitrobenzol.
A suitable addition to the nitroglycerine consists of three per cent. of isoamylnitrate
or more. In lieu of adding isoamylnitrate to the prepared nitroglycerine, an emulsion
of glycerine and isoamylnitrate or isoamylalcohol can be nitrated.
Dated this 30th day of March 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosive Compounds.
I, EDUARD LIEBERT, of 43, Friedrichstrasse, Berlin, S.W., 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 the manufacture of explosive compounds.
A great disadvantage of nitroglycerine and the dynamite produced from the same
consists in their sensitiveness to blows or shocks and in the property which they
possess of congealing.
In order to obviate these defects, various substances have heretofore been added to
the glycerine, such as for example nitrobenzot.
Although nitrobenzol possesses the property of rendering nitroglycerine less
sensitive to blows or shocks, and of lowering the freezing point thereof it has on the
other hand the disadvantage of considerably decreasing the explosive force of the

page_text: nitro-glycerine, and that the mixture leaves behind undecomposed vapours of nitro-
benzol after the explosion, which vapours are much more dangerous when inhaled
than the gases produced by the explosion of the nitro-glycerine itself.
Isoamylnitrate has been found to be a substance which, added to nitroglycerine,
presents all the advantages of nitrobenzol, without having the above-mentioned
defects.
Nitroglycerine, mixed with five per cent. of isoamylnitrate, does not commence to
freeze at 35 degrees below zero, its sensitiveness to blows or shocks is much less
than that of pure nitroglycerine, the explosive force is greater than that of pure nitro-
glycerine, and as isoamylnitrate, under certain circumstances is an explosive substance,
it will be completely decomposed by the explosion, and the gases produced scarcely
differ from those which are produced by the explosion of pure nitroglycerine, and are
not poisonous as are vapours of nitrobenzol. Moreover, isoamylnitrate is cheaper
than nitrobenzol.
A suitable addition to the nitroglycerine consists of three per cent. of isoamylnitrate
or more. In lieu of adding isoamylnitrate to the prepared nitroglycerine, an emulsion
of glycerine and isoamylnitrate or isoamylalcohol can be nitrated.
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 1
claim is ;-
First. The improved process of preparing nitroglycerine, which consists in adding
isoamylnitrate to the nitroglycerine.
Second. The improved process of preparing nitroglycerine, which consists in
nitrating a mixture of glycerine with isoamylnitrate or isoamylalcohol.
Dated this 28th day December 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant..