Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosives.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by Dr. JOHN STORER, of 29, Bligh Street, in the
City of Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, Consulting Chemist.]
Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosives.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 use in preparing blasting or other explosives, of an
ingredient hitherto never used for this purpose, being kerosene shale having the
quality of that known as New South Wales kerosene shale.
In carrying out this invention the kerosene shale takes the place of carbon or
its equivalents. It is finely ground and mixed in the requisite proportion with
the oxidising substances usually employed such as chlorates, nitrates and similar
compounds.
It
Its
The kerosene shale suitable for this invention is mainly composed of carbon
and hydrogen in combination, with a very small proportion of mineral matter.
can be ground to a fine powder with great facility and remains non volatile
unchanged and inert under ordinary atmospheric and chemical influences.
carbon being in combination with hydrogen the shale is practically equivalent to
coal tar, dead oils and other liquid and semi liquid hydrocarbons now employed in
preparing blasting explosives, and it can be used without any of the difficulties
attending the manufacture of explosives with such hydrocarbons.
Explosives made with the kerosene shale are of a uniform quality throughout
the mass, are of good strength, do not deteriorate or alter during keeping, and are
safe in use whilst the preparation is simple and cheap.
The proportions in which the kerosene shale is employed varies according to the
character of the oxidising chemical used.
In the manufacture of an explosive with potassium chlorate, one part of finely
ground kerosene shale combined with five parts of finely ground potassium chlorate
is a proportion giving good results.
The two substances are first ground separately to fine powders and are then
blended by grinding them together or by other suitable means of mixing. The
preparation of the compound for use is completed by compressing it into cartridges
of convenient size or by granulation by any of the well known methods.
When other chlorates or nitrates are used the proportion of the kerosene shale
must necessarily be varied according to the yield of available oxygen from them,
but these proportions may be varied within moderate limits.
The explosive prepared as above described is best fired by means of a detonator,
and in order to obtain the maximum results when it is used in blasting, the charge
should be well tamped.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
An explosive compound in which kerosene shale is employed along with oxidising
agents as a substitute for other carbonaceous matter, manufactured substantially as
described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.