Improvements in and relating to High Explosives for use in Mining, and for Military and other Purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to High Explosives for use in Mining,
and for Military and other Purposes.
I, JAMES MADISON POLLARD, a Citizen of the United States of America,
residing at No. 1321 H Street N.W., in the City of Washington, District of
Columbia and United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in gun and mining powders, and in com-
pounds therefor, as well as in novel processes of incorporating, granulating, and
waterproofing the same, all as will be fully described hereinafter, and it is especially
applicable to classes of explosives hitherto considered dangerous of fabrication and
incorporation and unstable after manufacture.
The objects of my invention are to obtain perfect incorporation of the ingredients
of compounds that cannot safely be incorporated by milling, or by the ordinary
mixing machines; to secure thorough waterproofing of the particles composing such
compounds, to render the manufacture thereof safe and economical, and to obtain a
stable, safe, and reliable explosive as to all matters of storage, transportation
and use.
A further object of the improvement is to supplement the chemical combinations
involved in the explosion by the addition of moisture-which is dissociated, and its
elements appropriated by those of the explosive.
The invention consists broadly in the process of first minutely sub-dividing, as by
grinding to an impalpable powder, the chlorates, nitrates, etc., which contain the
oxygen, and also grinding separately the charcoal, carbonates, sulphates or sulphur
where these are employed. In melting one or more of the ingredients of the com-
pound to be formed, at a temperature below the melting, or decomposing, or
volatilizing, or oxidizing temperatures of any of the other ingredients, and in then
adding such other ingredients to the melted substance, and raising the temperature
thereto, whereby the finely divided solids act by capillary attraction to absorb and
distribute the melted substance uniformly throughout the mass, and are then
intimately mingled with each other, all as will be more specifically described
hereinafter.
The invention further consists of utilizing the melted substance as one of the
ingredients of a compound and as a lubricant to prevent actual contact of particles
of other substances too sensitive to mix by dry frictional contact with each
other.
The invention further consists in the addition to the dry granular or mealed
powder so produced, of water-sufficient or nearly sufficient to fill the interstices of
the powder, all as and for the purpose hereinafter explained.
I will illustrate the operation of the process by reference to an explosive com-
posed of chlorate of potassium, sulphur, and a hydrocarbon such as paraffin though
any hydrocarbon free from easily oxidizable matter, and solid at normal temperatures
would be available.
I grind the chlorate and the sulphur, separately to an impalpable powder, and
melt the paraffin in a water bath." The paraffin of commerce melts at about
180 degrees F., water boils at 212 degrees F., and sulphur, melts at 218 degrees F.,
so that I am enabled to add the sulphur in its powdered form to the paraffin, which
it absorbs, and to thoroughly coat each infinitesimal particle of the sulphur with
the melted hydrocarbon, without danger of melting the sulphur, which in this
instance is to be avoided. I next add the chlorate, either previously raising the

page_text: temperature to or near 212 degrees F., or permitting it to gradually acquire that
temperature after addition. and let it remain until it has absorbed, or has become
permeated by the fluid hydrocarbon. I then thoroughly incorporate the mass for
the double purpose of mixing the sulphur and the chlorate with each other, and
of ensuring each particle of the sulphur and chlorate a covering of the melted
paraffin.
Instead of a hydrocarbon having the high melting point named, I may, when the
explosive is designed for immediate use or when it is to be used in waterproof
cartridges or in perfectly dry places, employ any of the paraffin series down to those
that are fluid or semi-fluid at ordinary temperatures, the one essential being that at
the time of incorporation the hydrocarbon shall be sufficiently fluid to obey the
laws of capillary attraction whereby it is incorporated with the finely divided
solids.
I then press the compound into cartridges or grains of the form desired, or
permit it to gradually cool, meantime subjecting it to continuous and vigorous
stirring or incorporation. Detonating compounds act to best advantage if in fine
powder, and if cooled in the manner described, each particle retains its coating of
paraffin, and does not adhere to the others, while if it allowed to cool in a mass,
and the mass is subsequently broken up, the hydrocarbon separates by fracture
cleanly from the sulphur or chlorate and permits actual contact between them, thus
forming a most dangerously sensitive compound. When cooled in a mass this
powder becomes very firm and solid, and if then crushed to powder the powder
consists mostly of separate particles of chlorate of sulphur and of detached films of
crystalline paraffin, intimately mingled but in no sense waterproofed, or with the
chlorate and sulphur separate from each other, as by my process.. The incorpora-
tion is moreover not as perfect as by my process, and the detonation much less
energetic.
I contemplate passing the hot product through fine sieves, and letting the particles
fall some distance, if necessary retarding them by a current of cold air, if I should
find it necessary to economize time in this manner.
When about to use this finely mealed or granulated product either in holes in
rock, or in shells, torpedoes, etc., I saturate it with moisture either before filling the
holes, shells, etc., or after doing so. The product as described is almost exactly like
dry finely powdered corn-meal, and when slightly compacted will absorb from one-
third to two-thirds its weight of water without increase in volume.
So prepared it withstands all shocks or friction that can be imparted by any
mechanical means, and a shell so loaded can be fired from the most powerful modern
ordnance with perfect safety. A powerful percussion detonator or 24 grain fulminate
primer is however sufficient for the detonation, and under the conditions named the
detonation is attended by phenomena that conclusively show that the water is
dissociated and recombined during the process.
The most probable reactions are, first, the dissociation under extremely high
temperatures and pressures into hydrogen and oxygen, and recombination, the
hydrogen with the chlorine as hydrochlorous acid, and the oxygen with the carbon
of the hydrocarbon and with the base, as oxide of potassium. Any uncombined
portion of these gases again combines as water, when the expansion reduces the
temperature below that of dissociation of these elements.
When prepared as described the powder is so perfectly protected and water-
proofed that it is safe against changes of weather, and against mechanical shocks,
friction, etc., and it can be saturated with water any length of time without under-
going any changes whatever.
When used without the addition of water this powder requires a detonator, being
incapable of explosion by any process, and simply burning if ignited, either when
confined or unconfined. Owing to the very perfect incorporation of the ingredients
the detonation is extremely violent and powerful, exceeding that of nitro glycerine.
Weight for weight in hard rock it performs work greatly in excess of the best
grades of Number 1 dynamite even when kept perfectly dry,

page_text: The addition of water is attended by enormously increased shattering and dis-
ruptive effect, and this effect is so marked as to leave no doubt as to its cause being
chemical combination with the elements of the water.
For use as an explosive when uncombined with water I employ about the following
proportions―
as the oxygen of the water requires this excess of carbon.
The advantages of this combination of water as one of the explosive ingredients
are that it adds without cost to the value of the explosive, and that it renders the
loading and firing perfectly safe against accident other than the premature firing of
the fulminate or detonator.
I also apply this, process to compounds of nitrate of ammonium, with carbon,
sulphur, nitrate of potassium, or with any other salts of ammonium etc., and in this
case I employ a hydrocarbon solid at normal temperatures but having a melting
point below the melting or volatilizing or decomposing point of any of the salts or
substances. The melted hydrocarbon is absorbed by the powdered solids, which
are then incorporated as already described.
I propose to employ for the most sensitive and dangerous compounds, hydro-
carbons having as high melting and igniting points as my process will admit of
incorporating, in order to reduce the liability to accident; while for difficultly
ignited compounds I may employ nitrohydrocarbons, it being understood that in
describing my process and claiming the same, 1 mean to include all substances
adapted to said process.
I am aware that sulphur and the other ingredients of gunpowder have been
incorporated in the ordinary manner and the product thus formed submitted to a
temperature exceeding the melting point of sulphur, whereby the sulphur was fused,
but this is obviously not at all the equivalent of my process.
I am also aware that paraffin has been incorporated with a variety of other
substances to form explosive compounds, but this has usually been accomplished by
solution, or by melting two or more of the ingredients together and then breaking
up and incorporating the mass, and has never, so far as I know or believe, been
used in the manner described herein.
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. The process of incorporating together chlorates and sulphur, which consists in
coating the finely divided particles of the same with a hydrocarbon maintained in a
melted condition at a temperature below the melting temperature of the sulphur,
and in then agitating said substances whereby they are coated and lubricated
with the inert hydrocarbon during the incorporation, as described and set
forth.
2. The mode or process of incorporating oxygen bearing salts and sulphur, which
consists in first melting a hydrocarbon solid at normal temperature and having a
melting point below that of sulphur, introducing thereinto finely divided sulphur,
preferably in the form of flour, agitating the compound so as to provide for each
particle of sulphur a coating of the hydrocarbon, then introducing into the compound
a finely divided oxygen-bearing salt or salts such as described, and again agitating

page_text: the mass to likewise form a coating for each particle of the oxygen-bearing salt
or salts and for intermingling the same with the sulphur, for the purpose set
forth.
3. The herein-described explosive powder, composed of chlorate and sulphur, the
particles of each constituent being coated with paraffin, as set forth.
4. The herein-described explosive compound composed of finely divided sulphur,
chlorate and nitrate, the particles of each constituent having a coating of paraffin,
as set forth.
Dated this 24th day of November 1801
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.