Improvements in the Manufacture or Treatment of Explosives to Better Control Combustion or Prevent Detonation.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 30th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Treatment of Explosives to
Better Control Combustion or Prevent Detonation.
I WILLIAM RICHARD HODGKINSON of 75 Vanbrugh Park, Blackheath, in the
County of Kent, Professor of Chemistry, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture or treatment of
explosives such as gun cotton, nitro-glycerine and other similarly constituted
explosive bodies-so as to enable the effecting better control of their combustion or
the prevention of their detonation by the addition of certain other bodies in properly
regulated or proportionate quantities.
In carrying out my improved manufacture or treatment or process for rendering
gun cotton, nitro-glycerine and similar bodies less rapidly combustible and lessening
the tendency to detonate, I mix with or dissolve in the case of nitro-glycerine,
certain compounds of aniline, toluidine, xylidine, cumidine and other similar amido
compounds with the explosive, in such proportions as I find by experience will
reduce the rate of explosion or combustion to the extent required. The compounds
of these bases their derivatives or homologues I prefer are their salts with formic,
acetic and oxalic acids and their derivatives known as formyl, acetyl, oxatyl com
pounds respectively, and as less effective than these the salts of these bases with
mineral acids like nitric or hydrochloric acids and in some cases the free bases.
The gun cotton may be impregnated with these substances either by immersion
in the fused substance or in a solution in alcohol or other convenient solvent, by
which means the quantity applied may also be regulated.
The substances I prefer for ease of application and certainty of result are the
formyl and acetyl compounds of aniline, toluidine, and cumidine, and I make no
distinction between the various isomeric modifications of these bases.
I do not confine myself to primary bases but include also, under the term bases,
secondary and tertiary bases, as for example, chinoline sometimes called
quinoline &c. &c.
Dh 201
1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Treatment of Explosives to
Better Control Combustion or Prevent Detonation.
I WILLIAM RICHARD HODGKINSON of 75 Vanbrugh Park Blackheath in the County
of Kent, Professor of Chemistry 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 certain improvements in the manufacture or treatment
of explosives-such as gun cotton, nitro glycerine and other similarly constituted
explosive bodies-so as to obtain a better control of their combustion or the pre-
vention of their detonation by the addition of certain other bodies in properly
regulated or proportionate quantities that is to say I employ certain substances
known as organic bases mixed with gun cotton, nitro-glycerine or other similarly
constituted explosive bodies for the purpose of rendering the rate of explosion or
burning of these bodies slower to almost any desired extent.

page_text: In carrying out my improved manufacture or treatment for rendering gun cotton,
nitro-glycerine and other similar bodies less rapidly combustible and lessening the
tendency to detonate I mix with, or dissolve in the case of nitro glycerine,
certain compounds of aniline, or toluidine, or xylidine, or cumidine and of other
similar amido compounds with the explosive in such proportions as I find by experience
will reduce the rate of explosion or combustion to the extent required. The com-
pounds of these bases or their derivatives or homologues I prefer are their salts with
formic, acetic and oxalic acids and their derivatives known as formyl, acetyl, oxatyl
compounds respectively and as less effective than these the salts of these bases
with mineral acids like nitric or hydrochloric acids and in some cases the free
bases.
I prefer mixing the highest nitrated cellulose, or gun-cotton with bases like aniline
either as the free base or as salts with organic or mineral acids.
The gun-cotton may be impregnated with these substances either by immersion in
the fused substance or in a solution in alcohol or other convenient solvent by which
means the quantity of the base to be applied to the gun cotton, or other substance
may be accurately determined. As fully nitrated gun-cotton is quite insoluble in
either these bases or their salts it must be incorporated either mechanically by mixing
or as I prefer to do it by dissolving the bases or their salts in some solvent like
alcohol to the required strength of solution and then causing the gun-cotton in its dry
state to absorb this solution. The alcohol or other solvent is then allowed to
evaporate spontaneously whereby an intimate mixture of the base or its salt with the
gun-cotton is obtained.
Substances adapted for my purpose on account of ease of application and as giving
satisfactory results are the formyl and acetyl compounds of aniline, toluidine and
cumidine including the various isomeric modifications of these bases and including
as well as the primary bases, secondary and tertiary bases as chinoline sometimes called
quinoline and others.
Amongst bases I prefer to use are those forms of xylidine known as para- and
ortho- respectively, their acetates, or the commercial xylidine which contains 20
to 30 per cent. of another form of xylidine in addition to these.
These substances may also be mixed with nitro-glycerine and with the soluble
forms of nitro-cellulose. The proportion in which the base is contained in the
mixture depends in all cases on the rate of burning desired to be attained. In the
case of soluble nitro-celluloses the admixture of bases can be made more thoroughly
than with pure gun-cotton. Gun-cotton containing a certain quantity of nitro-
glycerine soaked into it-(5 to 20 per cent.)-along with a corresponding amount of
a base for which purpose I prefer a salt of cumidine, forms a relatively very safe
explosive which fulfils satisfactorily the object of this invention in being almost
smokeless whilst at the same time more powerful than ordinary gunpowder.
In mixing these substances I prefer to mix the base with the nitro-glycerine,
which renders it much safer to handle and in which it is soluble before allowing it
to soak into the guncotton in the required degree.
As an example of the application of this process I take the ordinary compressed
gun-cotton and soak it in a solution of the base selected, of the required strength-
after which I submit the gun-cotton to pressure to expel the excess and then allow to
dry spontaneously.
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 I
claim is:
1. In the manufacture or treatment of explosives to better prevent detonation or
control their combustion the employment of certain substances known as organic
bases or their salts as set forth-admixed there with in manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore set forth.
2. The employment of certain substances known as organic bases--or their salts as

page_text: set forth-mixed with guncotton, nitro-glycerine, or other similarly constituted
explosive bodies for the purpose of rendering the rate of explosion or burning of
those explosive bodies capable of being better controlled substantially as set forth.
D
201 1
e
1000
W. R. HODGKINSON.
Wm. Brookes & Son,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.