Improvements in or relating to Explosives.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Explosives.
I, ERNST KÜBIN of 9 Park Street, in the City of Prague, Empire of Austria,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Mixtures of nitrate of ammonia with the nitro compounds of benzole, toluole or
naphthalene have for many years been employed for blasting purposes especially
in coal mines.
These explosives are equal to the strong kinds of dynamite, if equal weights are
compared, but their specific gravity being lower than that of dynamite they are in
many cases inferior to it.
This disadvantage can be diminished and the power of this class of explosives
increased if instead of nitro-compounds-nitrates of amido-compounds are employed
for the mixture with nitrate of ammonia; the nitrates of aniline and toluidine are
especially well suited for this purpose.
These compounds contain their oxygen in a form which enables them to far
better support a rapid decomposition than nitro-compounds, in view of the fact
that a mixture of nitrate of ammonia with nitrate of aniline or toluidine is a fourth
part stronger than that of a mixture of nitrate of ammonia with nitro compounds,
and also that these mixtures may be compressed without any great loss of
strength.
In manufacturing my new explosive I prefer to employ from 5 to 20 parts of the
nitrate of aniline or toluidine and from 95 to 80 parts of nitrate of ammonia.
The weights may be altered according to circumstances and will depend on the
purpose the mixture is destined for, that is whether it is to be employed as a safety
explosive in coal mines or for rock-blasting, or other purposes.
The nitrates of aniline or toluidine may partly or wholly be substituted by the
uitrates of the other mono- and biamido- and also nitro-amido compounds of benzole
toluole, xylol or naphthalene.
Also a portion or the whole of the nitrate of ammonia may be substituted by the
nitrates of potassium, sodium or barium.
Dated this 12th day of June 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, ERNST KÜBIN of 9 Park Street, in the City of Prague Austria, 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:-
The invention relates to an improvement in the nitrate of ammonia class of
explosives.
Hitherto these explosives have been combined by nitrate of ammonia, intimately
mixed with nitro compounds of benzole, phenole, or naphtalene.
Some of the detrimental qualities of these explosives, especially their relative
lack of power in consequence of their low specific gravity and the necessity of
[Price 8d.]

page_text: using very strong detonators, can be diminished by changing the composition of
these mixtures.
Experiments have proved that organic components, containing nitrogen and
oxygen in the form of nitrates instead of nitro-compounds are far better able to
support a rapid decomposition and in consequence of it to develop a greater volume
of gas in the same time.
Nitrates of amido compounds, especially those of aniline and toluidine intimately
mixed with nitrate of ammonia, surpass mixtures, which contain di-nitro-compounds
by an amount which may range up to an excess of a fourth part in strength.
These mixtures may be compressed without loss of power and can be made to
explode completely with weaker detonators than nitro compound-mixtures.
For manufacturing these explosives from 5 to 25 parts of the nitrates of aniline
or toluidine are intimately mixed with from 95 to 75 parts of nitrate of ammonia.
As both of the components-the nitrate of aniline and the nitrate of ammonia-
are soluble in water, the procedure of mixing may be executed with the addition of
water whereby a very intimate mixture results.
A most intimate mixture is obtained by dissolving nitrate of aniline in molten
nitrate of ammonia with the addition of a small percentage of carbonate of
ammonia.
The nitrates of aniline or toluidine may partly or wholly be substituted by the
nitrates of the other mono- and bi-amido- and also the nitro amido-compounds of
benzole, toluol or naphtalene or other organic nitrates or nitro compounds.
Also a part or the whole of the nitrates of ammonia may be substituted by the
nitrates of potassium, sodium or the alkaline earths.
The exact weights of the components depend on the purpose the mixture is
destined for, whether it is to be employed for rock blasting or as a safety explosive
in coal-mines.
For the latter purpose these sort of explosives are very well suited on account of
the rapidity of their explosion and the great intimacy of the mixture which prevents
particles of the organic component from escaping the explosion and from igniting
fire-damp and coal-dust through being scattered in a burning condition.
To increase the security from 10 to 20 per cent. of different ammonia-salts or
salts containing crystal water may be added to the mixture.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
The manufacture of a new explosive consisting in a mixture of nitrates of
potash, sodium or alkaline earths more especially of ammonium with the nitrates of
the mono-bi- and nitro-amido-compounds of benzole toluole xylole naphtalene
diphenyl or ditoly! with addition or not of other organic nitrates or nitro
compounds, ammonia salts or salts containing crystal water substantially as
specified.
Dated this 7th day of March 1894
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.