Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Explosive Substances.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Explosive
Substances.
A communication by EDMOND LANDAUER, of No. 44, Boulevard Haussmann,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Chemist.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The use of chlorates for the preparation of explosive substances has hitherto
presented such dangers in their manipulation, and in their mixture with the com-
bustible substances, that it has been abandoned.
In making the present invention, it has been surmised that, if the chlorate could
be coated in such a way as to render it insoluble in water, and less sensitive to
concussion, and yet to preserve in it its shattering qualities, a gap would be filled
in the series of explosives at present known.
This invention is designed in order to attain practically this object, and it consists
in employing substances which, by their constitution, will supply the necessary
elements for the more or less complete combustion, and, among these substances,
may be named fatty bodies (palm oil, cocoa nut oil, lard).
Among the hydrocarbons; vaseline, petroleum tars, wood or coal tars, alone, or
mixed with the mono or binitro derivatives of benzine, of naphthaline, and of their
homologous carburets of dinitro and trinitro-cellulose (gun cotton), nitrated woods,
nitro-glycerine, in a word, bodies which, by their constitution, allow the products
of combustion to be obtained more or less completely at the time of the explosion
(carbonic acid or carbonic oxide), and allow explosives to be prepared having more
or less shattering properties, easy to handle and possessing no longer the dangers
of chlorate powders. The proportions of the different substances to be mixed
must therefore, as before stated, be calculated according to the combustion to be
produced (carbonic acid or carbonic oxide) or, finally, a mixture of these two
bodies.
The following are given as types of the various combinations which may be
formed according to this invention :-
No. 1. Chlorate of potash, 5 to 10 per cent.; binitronaphthaline, 5 per cent.;
sulphur, to 1 per cent.; tar, 5 per cent.
No. 2. Chlorate of potash, 8 to 10 per cent.; nitro-cellulose, 20 per cent. ; cocoa
nut oil, 10 per cent. ; tar, 10 per cent.
No. 3. Chlorate of potash, 5 to 10 per cent. ; nitroglycerine, 15; per cent.; wood
tar, 25 per cent.
These various mixtures may be themselves intermixed.
The use of perchlorates or permanganates instead of chlorates allows of a very
shattering explosive being produced.
METHOD OF MANUFACTURE.
A given weight of one of the above named coating substances is dissolved in a
volatile substance, such as ether, alcohol, or a mixture of them, benzine, the light
ether of petroleum, acetone, acetic ether, acetate of amyl, etcetera; the chlorate
finely pulverised is then added, whilst the mixture is stirred with a wooden spatula ;
when the mass has become homogeneous, the nitrated derivative is added direct

page_text: thereto, or it is dissolved previously in a part of the solvent, so that the whole may
form a very homogeneous composition.
The mixture, while still fluid, is poured into metal moulds and exposed to the
air, or in hot chambers at a temperature of 50 to 80 degrees, the volatile
substances are carried off, and there remains a more or less plastic mass easily
worked up into cartridges.
For preparing a powder composition, presenting more resistance to concussion,
the perchlorates may be employed, using the following formula :-
Thus, by mixing―
Perchlorate of potash
Tar
-
Nitroglycerine
Soluble gun cotton
-
Pyroxylated wood sawdust
Binitronaphthaline
-
2 to 4 per cent.
1
per cent.
75 per cent.
6
per
cent.
per cent.
3 to 6
1 per cent. ;
a product is obtained capable of being easily moulded, and possessing a very
great shattering force.
The binitronaphthaline may be replaced by binitrobenzine, or by a similar
nitrated derivative, or by a mixture of these nitrate derivatives with picric acid
previously melted together. Certain nitrous or nitrogenous derivatives of the
fatty series, or of the aromatic series, such as trinitrotoluene, trinitronaphthaline,
may be also substituted for them.
SECOND METHOD.
A slower explosive, capable of yielding great services in the working of mines:
The following are intimately mixed :-
Perchlorate of potash
Nitrate of potash
Nitrate of ammonia
-
2 to
6
per cent.
-
1 to
5
-
per cent.
80 per cent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Explosive
Substances..
A communication by EDMOND LANDAUER, of No. 44, Boulevard Haussmann,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Chemist.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, 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 use of chlorates for the preparation of explosive substances has hitherto
presented such dangers in their manipulation, and in their mixture with the com-
bustible substances, that it has been abandoned.

page_text: In making the present invention, it has been surmised that, if the chlorate could
be coated in such a way as to render it insoluble in water, and less sensitive to
concussion, and yet to preserve in it its shattering qualities, a gap would be filled
in the series of explosives at present known.
This invention is designed in order to attain practically this object, and it consists
in employing substances which, by their constitution, will supply the necessary
elements for the more or less complete combustion, and, among these substances,
may be named fatty bodies (palm oil, cocoa nut oil, lard).
Among the hydrocarbons; vaseline, petroleum tars, wood or coal tars, alone, or
mixed with the mono or binitro derivatives of benzine, of naphthaline, and of their
homologous carburets, of dinitro and trinitro-cellulose (gun cotton), nitrated woods,
nitro-glycerine, in a word, bodies which, by their constitution, allow the products
of combustion to be obtained more or less completely at the time of the explosion
(carbonic acid or carbonic oxide), and allow explosives to be prepared having
more or less shattering properties, easy to handle and possessing no longer the
dangers of chlorate powders. The proportions of the different substances to be
mixed must, therefore, as before stated, be calculated according to the combustion
to be produced (carbonic acid or carbonic oxide or even a mixture of these two
bodies).
The following are given as types of the various combinations which may be
formed according to this invention:-
No. 1. Chlorate of potash, 5 to 10 per cent.; binitronaphthaline, 5 per cent. ;
sulphur, to 1 per cent.; tar, 5 per cent.
No. 2. Chlorate of potash, 8 to 10 per cent.; nitro-cellulose, 20 per cent.; cocoa
nut oil, 10 per cent. ; tar, 10 per cent.
No. 3. Chlorate of potash, 5 to 10 per cent. ; nitroglycerine, 15 per cent.; wood
tar, 25 per cent.
These various mixtures may be themselves intermixed.
The use of perchlorates or permanganates instead of chlorates allows of a very
shattering explosive being produced.
METHOD OF MANUFACTURE.
A given weight of one of the above named coating substances is dissolved in a
volatile substance, such as ether, alcohol, or a mixture of them, benzine, the light
ether of petroleum, acetone, acetic ether, acetate of amyl, etcetera; the chlorate
finely pulverised is then added, whilst the mixture is stirred with a wooden spatula ;
when the mass has become homogeneous, the nitrated derivative is added direct
thereto,,or it is dissolved previously in a part of the solvent, so that the whole may
form a very homogeneous composition.
The mixture, while still fluid, is poured into metal moulds and exposed to the
air, or in hot chambers at a temperature of 50 to 80 degrees, the volatile sub-
stances are carried off, and there remains a more or less plastic mass easily
worked up into cartridges.
For preparing a composite powder, presenting more resistance to concussion, the
perchlorates may be employed, using the following formula :-
Thus, by mixing-
Perchlorate of potash
Tar
Nitroglycerine
Soluble gun cotton
Pyroxylated wood sawdust
Binitronaphthaline
-
2 to 4 per cent.
1 per cent.
75 per cent.
6
per cent.
3 to 6 per cent.
1 per cent.,
a product is obtained capable of being easily moulded and possessing a very great
shottoring forma

page_text: nitrated derivative, or by a mixture of these nitrate derivatives with picric acid
previously melted together. Certain nitrous or nitrogenous derivatives of the fatty
series, or of the aromatic series, such as trinitrotoluene, trinitronaphthaline, may
be also substituted for them.
series, or of the aromatic series, such as trinitrotoluene, trinitronaphthaline, may
be also substituted for them.
SECOND METHOD.
A slower explosive, capable of yielding great service in the working of
mines :
The following are intimately mixed :-
Perchlorate of potash
Nitrate of potash
Nitrate of ammonia
Binitronaphthaline
-
-
-
-
2 to
6 cent.
per
1 to
5
per
cent.
80
per
cent.
10 per cent.
Tar
-
-
40 to 50 per cent.
It must also be noted that the proportions of chlorate and perchlorate, or of any
of the other elements, may vary according to the effects to be produced, or according
to the state of agglomeration which it is desired to obtain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
The improvements in or relating to the manufacture of explosive substances
which consist in treating chlorates by coating them with fatty substances, hydro-
carbons and nitrates in the manner and according to the formulas hereinbefore
described for the purpose of rendering them less sensitive to concussion and insoluble
in water whilst entirely preserving their shattering properties.
Dated this 15th dow of August 1900
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.