Patented Oct.

18, 1932

WILLIAM A. MCINTYRE, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR- T0 E. I. DU PONT DE

NElXiOURS & COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA

WARE

BLACK POWDER QQMPQSITION

No Drawing.

Application ?led September 20,, 1930. Serial No. 483,390.

This invention relates to a form of explo

sive of the black powder type, and more par

There is disclosed in the co-pending appli

ticularly to an improved composition of cation of B. Austin Gillie, Serial N0. 433,186,
black powder in which the velocity of com~ a method of reducing the speed of burning
black powder compositions by incorporating
;, bustion has been materially decreased.
therewith castor oil.
.
Black powder is an explosive that has long
While the method described in the forego
been known and used, andits general com

ing co-pending application of bringing about

changed substantially. The usual ingredi a. reduction in the speed of the powder is ef

position over a long period of time has not

~ ents entering into its composition are potas

slum or sodium nitrate, sulfur, and char

coal. Prior to the present invention, a rep

fective, there are certain disadvantages as

sociated with the use of castor oil and other

common vegetable and mineral oils. The

resentative composition of black powder has preferred method of adding the castor oil pro

E;

comprised, for example, approximately 72% posed in the above co-pending application
potassium nitrate, 10% sulfur, and 18% was to- add it in the form of a water-emulsion.
Castor oil, however, does not emulsify readily
charcoal.

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Black powder is generally classi?ed as a with water. In order to form an emulsion

low-velocity or de?agrating explosive, as dis

tinguished from the high-velocity, detonat

> mg explosives, otherwise known as dyna

between castor oil and Water, it is necessary

to use emulsifying agents in the form, for ex

ample, of small amounts of an additional

mites. This characteristic low velocityof mineral oil or of a material such as sulfonate.

black powder is due to the fact that the black Even when so prepared, a castor oil emulsion
powder contains no ingredient that is ex is not always permanent and must be used
plosive in itself, and that an explosive is shortly after its preparation. An accom
' formed only when an intimate mixture is panying- disadvantage also of such an oil as
made of the ingredients that are in them castor oil" is the fact that special apparatus
is usually necessary in order to form an
selves separately non-explosive.
emulsion, such as a homogenizer or other ap~
Notwithstanding the fact that low velocity paratus
for producing a very intimate mix

is a characteristic of the black powder type

of explosives, the various uses of black pow ture of materials. The preparation of such
emulsions, therefore, is relatively costly and
der make desirable a control of the velocity time-consuming.
that will allow the use of faster or slower
I'have- discovered that the foregoing disad
powders, as desired. Various methods have

vantages may be overcome by incorporating

been used heretofore for obtaining increased in
the powder an oil that acts as a speed-re~
tardant
and which is directly emulsi?able
My invention relates to black powder com
positions and particularly to powders that with water without the use of any additional
are to be used in fuse. For such a purpose it emulsifying agent. Such oils have been com~
is desirable that a powder be obtained that monly designated soluble oils or water
will burn at a slow rate and whose rate of soluble oils and. have heretofore had quite
burning is capable of very careful control. general a plication as cutting oils in machine
uch water-soluble oils may be of
While a slow-burning powder may be ob work.
various
types;
for example, some oils of this
tained by mere adjustment of the percentages
of the different ingredient-s in the black type are known. as sulfonated oils, some as

< velocities of combustion.

2 powder, I ?nd such a means unsatisfactory phenolated oils, and some as soap oils. An'
beyond certain limits. I ?nd a more satis essential characteristic, however, is that the
factory and uniformly slow-burning powder oil be one that is emulsi?able with water

to be obtained by the introduction into the without the use of any additional emulsifying
powder, as an ingredient, of small per
When. such an oil having these designated
centages of an oil.
characteristics; is: mixed, with water the
agent.

56

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85

90

95

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100

1,882,853

ly 0.15 inches. Under such conditions of

thoroughness of the mixing or emulsi?cation testing,
I ?nd the time of burning of one foot
will be seen by the fact thatla white precipi of my improved
powder containing 0.5% of
tate or cloud appears at once throughout the a water-emulsifying
to be 57 seconds
liquid. The emulsi?cation takes place at once against 42 seconds foroilthe
same length of
on gentle agitation and the emulsion formed fuse powder of similar composition
but con
is suiiiciently permanent.
taining no speed-reducing oil.

. As many apparently widely different em

The advantages in the use of such a water

soluble oil will be apparent from the fore bodiments of this invention may be made I
going. By its use, the labor of preparing an.
emulsion from ' di?iculty emulsiliable ma-

without departing from the spirit thereof, it

terials is avoided, as well as the use of the'un

usual types of apparatus necessary. .

is to be understood that I do not limit myself

to the foregoing examples or descriptions ex

further advantage comes from the fact that cept as indicated in the following patent

the easily prepared emulsions with the water-V

claims,

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I claim:

soluble oils can be used immediately after'

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1. A black powder composition character

ized by its slow rate of combustion, and con

The vamount of such water-emulsi?able oil taining
as an ingredient an oil emulsi?able

preparation.

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for effective use in retarding the rate of burn

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ing ofhlacl: powder may be varied within wide with water without the use of an additional
20

25

30

agent.
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limits. However, I have found that amounts emulsifying
2. A black powder composition character-p
varying from 0.1% to 5.0% give satisfactory ized
by its slow rate of combustion, and con
results. The degreeof retardation will de taining
as ingredients an inorganic nitrate,
pend on the amount of oil used. While the sulfur, charcoal,
an oil emulsi?able with
use of such small quantities as 0.1% will have water withouttheand
use of an additional emul

a retarding effect on the powdergthe mag

nitude of such e?ect is not as great as is de

sifying agent.

>

A black powder composition character

sired. On the other hand, when amounts ized by its slow rate of combustion, and con
greater than 5% are used, the rate of burning
as ingredients potassium nitrate, sul
has been slowed down to such an'extent that taining
fur,
charcoal,
and an oil which alone is emul 95
the propagation of combustion is not certain. si? able with water.
.
I preferably use approximately 0.5% of the
4. A black powder composition character
oil by weight.
>
Y
Y
byits slow rate of combustion, and con
Various methods may be used for incorpo ized
taining
as ingredients potassium nitrate, sul
rating the above oils in the black powder fur, charcoal,
from 0.1 to 5.0% of an oil
mixtures. A satisfactory method isto pre~ which alone is and
emulsi?able
with water.
pare the emulsion of the oilwith water and
5. A black powder composition character
to add th's emulsion to the other ingredients ized
by its slow rate of combustion, and con
of the powder, to be wheeled in with them.
as ingredients sodium nitrate, sulfur,
In order to illustrate a speci?c embodiment taining
charcoal,
and any oil which alone is emulsi
of my invention without in any way limiting
with water.
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tie scope of the invention,thefollowing ex ?able
6. A blackpowder composltioncharacter- :
ample is given of a black powder composition ized by its slow' rate of combustion, and con
according to my invention 2.
. cent
.
taining as ingredients sodium nitrate, sul
Per
fur, charcoal,- and from 0.1 to 5.0% of an oil
72.0
Potassium nitrate _______________ __'__

1.0..

which alone is emulsi?able with water..

Sulfur __________________ __'_,-_ ____ __ .

6.5

Charcoal; ________________________ __

21.0

\Vater-emulsi?able oil _____________ __

0.5

100.0

lNhile the above example contains potassium

nitrate, it should be understood that this ni
trate may be replaced by other nitrates, for
example, sodium nitrate, which is the usual

oxidizing ingredient in black blasting

powder.

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The effect of the use of an. oil as above

described in lowering the velocity of produc

tion ofa fuse powder composition, foreXa-m
ple, will be apparent. To determine this re

tarding effect quantitatively, I find it satis

factory to ?ll a length of lead fuse with the
powder to be tested' This fuse is then rolled
down until it has a diameter of approximate

> In testimony wlierof, I a?ix my signature.

.
WILLIAM A. McINTYBE. ._
115