Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept.. 1887
Complete Left, 12th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th July, 1888
I EMIL DANIEL MÜLLER of Cologne in the Empire of Germany, Chemist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In order to prevent the ignition of explosive gas mixtures by the blasting charges
in coal-mines it has been proposed to surround the cartridges with water, in fluid
crystallised or other form, to secure a lower temperature of the gases arising from the
explosion.
These methods however require in the first place, very large boreholes and con-
siderably increase the costs of the blasting operation; in the second place they do not
offer any security that the gases of the explosives really mix with the water and
consequently get cooler; blown out charges especially will thrust away the top of the
surrounding water without deriving any advantageous result therefrom.
In order to secure a thorough mixture of the explosive gases with the water,
explosives which contain nitroglycerine or a nitro compound of benzine or of an
equivalent in the aromatic group of coal tar derivatives are according to this invention
thoroughly mixed with 15 or more per cent. of salts containing more than 5 molecules
of water of crystallization viz. preferably soda crystals, the alums, the sulphates,
borate of sodium and phosphates of sodium and of these mixtures are formed plastic
cartridges.
At the explosion of such cartridges the explosive gases must transform the crystallized
water into steam and thereby, as well as by the unavoidable thorough mixture with the
developed steam, the explosive gases get cooled down to such an extent, that an absolute
security against ignition of explosive gases and coal dust is obtained.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, EMIL DANIEL MÜLLER of Cologne, 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:
My invention has for its object the production of improved explosive compounds of
a kind which when exploded will not be liable to cause the ignition of gas or of coal or
other dust.
For the purpose of preventing ignition of gas in the use of explosives in coal mines,
cartridges have heretofore been surrounded with water, in a fluid, crystallized, or other
form, such water being intended to diminish the temperature of the gases developed
by explosion.
The use of such methods necessitates extra large bore holes and raises the cost of
mining considerably; and there is, moreover great uncertainty whether the explosive
gases will intermix with the water sufficiently for the purpose in view. In practice it is
found that blown-out shots will force out the water without breaking it up or
dividing it sufficiently to produce the desired effect. By this invention a thorough
intermixture of the explosive gases with the water is secured by combining in
inmediate admixture with the main explosive agent or agents 15 to 65 per cent. of a
salt or salts containing at least five molecules of water of crystallization.
The following are examples of such salts namely: soda crystals (ordinary
decahydrated sodium carbonate), potash alum, ammonia alum, sodium sulphate,
magnesium sulphate, iron sulphate, copper sulphate, sodium phosphate, magnesium
phosphate and sodium pyrophosphate. Any of these or a mixture of one or more of
them in a ground state, is mixed with an explosive containing nitro-glycerine or other
nitro compound, and the mixture is formed into cartridges.
On explosion of such cartridges the gases evolved should convert the water of
crystallization into steam; and by this action and by the unavoidable admixture of
the steam and gases the latter should be cooled down sufficiently to ensure that
inflammable gases or coal dust in the mine will not be ignited.
In selecting the salts to be used the following points must be taken into consideration.
The salts should hold the water firmly after mixture (that is in the cartridges) that no
alteration in the condition of the explosive compound (such as might be due to
evaporation, for example) during long storage, can take place. Sodium sulphate, and
soda crystals, offer advantages because of their large per centage of water of
crystallization; but if the explosive compounds are to be used in warm climates or
places, then magnesium-sulphate which is less liable to evaporation is to be preferred.
It is inadvisable to use alum alone as it is found that an explosive compound formed
with this salt alone will not pass the Government heat test, and on this account soda
crystals should be used along with the alum.

page_text: The greater or less inflammability of the coal dust, or the greater or less hardness of
the coal seam should also be considered when selecting explosives and the salt or salts
to be compounded therewith.
For hard coal and dangerous coal dust, where fire damp is present at the same time,
compounds of gelatinous explosives with a salt or salts the water of which is at least 35
per cent. of the whole compound are to be preferred. If a high temperature is usual
in the mine and it is necessary to store the explosive compound in the mine for
some time then alum with soda crystals or magnesium sulphate should be used. If
the coal dust is not inflammable and the fire damp contains only a small percentage
of coal gas then a salt or salts with water equal to 10 per cent. of the whole compound
will be sufficient.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I will proceed to describe by way of example a number of
explosive compounds as prepared by me.
A. EXPLOSIVES WITH KIESELGUHR AS BASE.
I take 45 parts nitro-glycerine and 45 parts of any one or more of the water
containing salts hereinbefore mentioned the latter being very finely ground and added
to the former. The whole is thoroughly intermixe until all parts of the salts are
thoroughly saturated with the nitro-glycerine. Then 10 parts of kieselguhr (in the
same condition as used for ordinary No. 1 dynamite) are added gradually; and the
whole is well intermixed until the mass is uniform and shows the same peculiarities as
ordinary No. 1 dynamite and is unable to take up more nitro-glycerine.
The mass is then sieved and formed into cartridges in the usual way.
B. EXPLOSIVES WITH ACTIVE BASE OR "DOPE."
A mixture of one or more organic bodies with oxygen-carrying bodios is made, the
parts thereof being by preference proportioned so that on ignition all the carbon and
hydrogen become burned to carbonic acid and water. As organic bodies the following
are preferred; namely hydro carbons, saw dust or wood meal, cellulose, gun-cotton,
meal, starch, dextrin, sugar, coal, spent tan, paraffin, and naphthalene; and as oxygen-
carrying bodies, the following, namely, the nitrates of potassium, sodium, barium,
and ammonium, and chlorate of potassium. These are mixed in a suitable vessel, and
30 to 80 per cent. of one or more of the water-carrying salts hereinbefore mentioned
are added and the whole well interinixed. When the mixture is fine enough 3 parts
of nitroglycerine is mixed with every 2 parts thereof and the whole sieved and made
nto cartridges in the usual way.
C. EXPLOSIVES WITH THE BASE PARTLY ACTIVE AND PARTLY INACTIVE.
Any desired proportions of the explosive compounds as made under A, and B, may
be mixed; or the active base with the water-carrying salt added is mixed with nitro-
glycerine, and kieselguhr is finally added and intermixed.
D. GELATINOUS EXPLOSIVES.
A compound is formed by heating 97 to 94 per cent. of nitro-glycerine in a suitable
vessel to 50° Centigrade and adding thereto 3 to 6 per cent. of gun-cotton (of the
same quality as is used for making blasting gelatine and gelatine dynamite) the whole
being stirred until the gun-cotton is completely dissolved. After the mixture has
cooled there is added to from 40 to 60 per cent. of it, 60 to 40 per cent. of the
water-carrying salts hereinbefore mentioned. Or to 36 parts of the gelatinized
nitro-glycerine there may be added about 19 parts of the active base described
under B and about 45 parts of the water-carrying salts. The whole is thoroughly
intermixed and then made into cartridges.
It is well known that in practice high or low explosives are required accordingly as

page_text: be considered as examples merely, and modifications of them may be made to suit
special cases and requirements, but in no case should any of the explosives contain
less than 15 per cent., nor more than 65 per cent. of water-carrying salts in the entire
compound.
In the improved explosive compounds herein before described as made with nitro-
glycerine, there may be substituted for a part of the nitro-glycerine say 15 to 20 per
cent. of other nitro-compounds such as nitro-benzol, binitro-benzol nitro-toluol, or
nitro-naphthalene.
In order to avoid the evolution of carbonic oxide gas on firing the explosive com-
pound under ground, the compound should contain as much of the nitro compound
mixed with a corresponding quantity of oxygen-carrying bodies named under B as is
necessary to form carbonic acid gas.
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 :-
:-
In explosive compounds made with nitro-glycerine or similar nitro-compounds,
combining in immediate admixture with the explosive agent or agents a quantity of a
suitable water-carrying salt or salts forming from 15 to 65 per cent. of the total
compound substantially in the manner an 1 for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this 19th day of June 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.