US4874A - Powder - Google Patents

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

c. F. scnonnnmg, or BASLE, SWITZERLAND, nssrenonro WM. H. ROBERTSON.

IMPROVEMENT IN PREPARATION OF COTTON-WOOL AND OTHER-SUBSTANCES AS SU BSTITUTES FORGUN- WDER Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4,874, dated December 5,1846.

To all whom it may acorn Be it known that l CHRISTIAN FREDERICK- SGHbNBEIN, the no lcrsigned, ot' Basle, in Switzerland, have discovered a new Process for Preparing Cotton and other Vegetable Fibrous Substances as a Substitute for Gunpowder, of which the following is a. full and exact description, reserving to myself the right of adding thereto such other materials of an explosive nature as; may hereinafter add.

What I claim as my discovery and ask a patent for is- Treating vegetable fibrous substances and other organic matters being of a chemical .composition analogous to that of the said vegetable fibrons'subs't-ances with a mixture-of nitric acid of 1.5 specific gravity, or thereabout, and sulphuric acid of 1.85 specific gravity, or thereabout, at the common temperature, or a lower one, by which compounds are formed which on being heated more or less ignite suddenly and produce gaseous matters. Of all the'vegetable substances known to me, cotton-wool is the most fit material for producing an explosire compound answering the purposes of gunpowder, and I therefore claim the use of cotton-wool for this purpose when prepared as herein directed.

To produce that explosive compound thefollowing process is to be gone throu'gh.

irst. Clean cotton isim-mersed inamixture containing the nitric and sulphuric acids of the specific gravities before mentioned. As to the ratio of yolumes in which the two acids are to be mixed, it may vary to a considerable extent, and the specific gravity may vary also; but the above is preferable. The ratio, however, yielding the best results is that of one volume of nitric acid to two or three of sulphuric acids.

Second. Into a mixture of the acids of the last-named description clean cotton is plunged in-such a. manner as to be entirely covered and impregnated'by the said acid' mixture. Care must be taken that the temperature of the said acid mixture be not above 50 or 60 Fahrenheit.

Third. The cotton,after having remained for an hour or two- (more or less) in contact with the acid mixture, must be subject topressure in' order to remove as much as possible from the cotton the acid particles. That being done, the pressed cotton is to be washed as long untilthe acid is entirely removed. That operation being finished, the prepared cotton is to be dried in moderately-heatedrooms. Before using the dry cotton it is important to card in. Fourth. Cotton-wool acquires also a high inflammability-aud explosive power by exposing that material at the common temperature to the action of pure nitric acidof the greatest specific gravity that acids can be prepared. This way of rendering the cotton in flammable appears to be lesseasyand economical than the method abqve described; but the use of this cotton-wool so prepared I claim as part of my discovery.

Fifth. For; many purposes it is good .to impregnate the'-explosive cottou by some nitrate of potash. This prepration imparts to the cotton the property of disengaging a more intense light'than the pure prepared cotton does, and the use of nitrate potassa or other known chemical substitutes I claim in combination with the acid treatment. I

In testimony whereof I, the said CHRISTIAN FREDERICK Soniirumm, herewith subscribe my name in the presence of the consul of the United States of America.

CHRISTIAN FREDERICK SOHONBEIN.

Witnesses:

Jmas M. CURLEY, Josnrn MARQUETTE, Clerks in the Consulate of the U. 52, London.