IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Gustaf Riman, of Regent's Park Terrace, in
the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS."
(Void by reason of the Patentee having neglected to file a Specification in
pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Gustaf Björkman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th June 1880.
CARL GUSTAF BJÖRKMAN, of Regent's Park Terrace, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS."
'
This Invention relates to the preparation of explosives consisting of combustible
substances or substances capable of yielding oxygen mixed with
blasting oil.
8. new
When glycerine or other suitable trivalent-alcohol is heated and carefully mixed
with d of its weight of a carbo-hydrate, such as sucrose or glucose, and then
treated carefully and with proper precautions with 2 times its weight of strong
nitric acid, a liquid is formed, the manufacture of which is free from danger under
ordinary circumstances. The liquid body, which is not nitro-glycerine but a distinct
substance, must be freed from excess of acid by means of water in which a small
quantity of soda has been dissolved, and after separation from the water it will be
ready for use. The liquid thus prepared is mixed with one or more combustible
materials or materials capable of yielding oxygen or other suitable substance so as
to form a solid or pulverulent compound. It is evident that the explosive thus
formed, which must be distinct from compounds containing nitro-glycerine, must be
varied in accordance with the purpose for which it is intended to use it, and benco
the relative quantities of the ingredients employed and the ingredients themselves
will differ somewhat, but the following proportions will serve as an example :-
Take 60 parts by weight of the blasting oil, 18 parts by weight of manganese
dioxide, 10 parts by weight of prussiate of potash, 2 parts by weight of sulphide
of antimony, and 10 parts by weight of pine sawdust or powdered cork. Owing

page_text: to the qualities of the blasting oil, an explosive prepared in this way and con-
taining that blasting oil may be exposed to temperatures below freezing without
congealing. This renders it specially suitable for mining and other purposes, as
in most cases it may be used without previous warming, and the accidents which
often occur through heating frozen explosives may thus be prevented.
Another property of the greatest value to this explosive for transport by sea or
for long storage, is the fact that it may be made botly inexplosive and uninflammable
by means of water, and be restored to its former strength by drying again, although
it is not injured by water when charged into wet holes.
As a result of the blasting oil being mixed with and absorbed by solid substances
in such a way that the liquid oil does not exude, it is sensitive to blows or
shocks, so that the use of the compound is ST han is he case with those
compounds from which the blasting oil would trickle out and so pass into rents or
cracks in the rocks, and thereby cause danger during the boring of another hole in
the immediate vicinity of the part exploded.
Another advantage is that the solid substance not being in any sense noisonous,
no obnoxious gases are evolved on exploding he said compound when carefully
prepared.