US792716A

US792716A - High-explosive compound and process of making same.

Info

Publication number: US792716A
Application number: US14106503A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hudson Maxim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1903-01-29
Filing date: 1903-01-29
Publication date: 1905-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 1922-06-20

Description

NITED STAT s Patented June 20, 1905.

' ATENT Fries.

HlGH-EXPLDSIVE COMPOUND AND PaooEss or Mame AME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patenfiflp, ff92,716, dated June 20, 1965.

Application filed January 29,1905. shrial No. 141,065.

duce a high explosive and by an improved process of manufacture which shall be so insensitive to percussion as to enable it to withstand the shock of penetrating armor-plate and an explosive which may be melted or fused over an ordinary water-bath and pen shells in a fused state, and an explos which shall on coolingcxpand slightly and set firmly upon and adhere to the walls of the projectile, and an explosive also which shall be stable, non-hygroscopic, and capable of being stored for any length of time under various climatic conditions without undergoing chemical change.

I have discovered that although the melting-point of picric acid is 122 and. that of dinitrophenol is 113 to 114 centigrade, if the two be mixed the common melting-point is reduced to about 6!) centigradc, varying slightly with the relative proportion of the ingredients. This phenomenon is duc'to the mutual chemical afiinity of the two homologous substances, which gives them a mutual tendency to enter into solution for the. purpose of more intimate union in exactly the same manner that a mixture of ice and salt will combine to form a liquid at a temperature below that atwhich the ice normally remains a solid.

Picric acid contains one atom of oxygen more than it contains of carbon, the formula being UtHnN 301, while dinit o-phenOl contains one atom of oxygen less than it contains'of carbon, its formula being OttliNzOt. Now, therefore, when picric acid is detonated in a strong steel shell with a powerful detonator,

the carbon combines with the-oxygen, producing carbonic oxid, and as the temperature is too high at the instant 0t detonation tor the i i existence of the molecule of carbonicl'acid or the water molecule the products of combustion consist of carbonic oxid, free nitrogen, and. free hydrogen, together with any oxygen in a free state which may be in excess of that necessary to the production of carbonic oxid.

' I have found by experimentthat when the carbOn'cO'ntent of the explosive is equal or slightly in excess of the oxygen content the sensitiveness of the explosive is very much diequal quantity of both carbon and oxygen. and practice has confirmed this theory.- Com ditiitro-phenol, and one in which the quantities of carbon and oxygen .balance each other, forms the most favorable compound for my purpose. tions of this compound within wide limits without departing from the invention. example, fonfilling projectiles for quick-firing guns' ethat is to say, .projectiles of from one to six' inches in calibera larger percentof dinitro-phenol is preferred, for the reason that the'shock upon the explosive both in the gun and upon armor-plate is not so great in small shell as inv large shell, and it is not so ploder sufficiently powerful for the detonaquired in projectiles from six to twel '1 inches in caliber, while for field-shell of all calibers there is not required such an insensitive compound as that necessary to be employed against armor-plate.

In carrying out the invention I preferably prepare the picric acid and the dinitro-phenol separately, and before washing to free of acid and to purify they are mixed in the proportions required for the final product-say in the proportions of about fifty two parts picric acid to forty-eight parts dinitro-pl'ienol, and the mixture is then washed in warm water, or water at a temperature slightly above the fusion-point of the compound. By this I may of course vary the proper-f For tion of an explosive so insensitive as is re:

v minished, while theoretically that explosive; which shall produce the highest results 'as a' shattering agent is one in which therelisan sequently I have found that a compound con sisting of about fifty-two parts, by weight, of pieric acid and forty-eight parts, by ugeightof age of pici'ic acid and a smaller percentage practical to employ in such small shell an exmeans a great advantage is secured and much time saved on account of the advantage of being able to wash the compound in a liquid state and with'lwater. After washing the supernatant liquid is allowed to cool to allow the explosive compound held in solution when hot in excess of what the water willlhold when cold to crystallize fromsolutijo'n; This process of washing may be repeatedwith additional water until the compouud'is entirely purified. Neutralizers may also of; course be employed, if desired, to assist in the elimination of any free nitric or sulfuric acid.

What is claimed is i 1. Theprocess of purifying an explosive compound, which consists in combining two nitro compoundsfo'ne or. both of which has a melting-point above the boiling-point of water, to produce an explosive compound having a meltingepoint below the melting-point of water, and then washing withwater of a temperature at or above the fusion-point of v es the explosive compound.v

A 1, 2. The process of purifying an explosive compound, consisting ofuniting two or more =nitro compounds, each having amelting-point above the boiling-point of water, to' form an explosive compound having a melting-point below the boiling-point'of water, and washing the explosive compound in a state of fusion with water of'a temperature at or above the melting-point of the explosive compound. 3. The process ofimaking an explosive compound, consisting in heating a mixture of picric acid and dinitro-phenol in presence of water to a temperature below the meltingpoint of each ingredient to melt the said mixture, and then washing the same in water.

'4. The process of making an explosive compound, consisting in heating a mixture of about fifty-two parts picric acid and fortyeight parts dinitro-phenol in presence ofwater to a temperature below the melting-point of each ingredient to melt the said mixture, and then washing the same in water.

7 5. The process of making an explosive compound, consisting in heating a mixture of pieric acid and dinitro-phenol in presence of wa ter to a temperature below the melting-point of each ingredient to melt said mixture, Washing the same in warm water and then cooling said wash-water to separate out the explosive compound held in solution. I

6. An explosive compound, consisting of picric acid and dinitro-phenol associated in solution with each other, the carbon andoxygen in said 'mixture-being-su bstantially in the ratio of their atomic proportions and the meltingpoint of the compound being less than that of either of said ingredients.

In testimony whereof I, HnDsoN- MAXIM,

have signed this specification .in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HUDSON MAXIM.

Witnesses:

PHILIP MAURO, G. A. L. MASSIE.