What type of reaction is this? Potassium nitrate thermally decomposes, the oxygen generated by this decomposition then proceeds to react in a combustion reaction with the carbon, to give but two examples. Can you tell me are there any substitute substances that can be used for testing to replace gunpowder with. If you are unaware of any perhaps you could even me give me the size and weight of the grain?
Thanks for any help- it really would be appreciated. By any chance, does anyone know the ignition temperature of gunpowder with and without sulfur? The graphic says sulfur lowers ignition temp, so, what does it lower it to and what would the ignition temp be without it? Hey, just for fun, guess how much metal is in gunpowder. Close Menu Home. Infographics Index. Like Loading Tags fireworks , gunpowder , pyrotechnics.
How much gunpowder is used in a firework. In terms of ratios to size? What is the average density of gunpowder, assuming ratios used in the infographic? If you're a purist, make your own charcoal by filling a metal drum with 3-inch pieces of willow or another wood, then placing the drum in a bonfire with a loose lid on top to allow for airflow. Keep the bonfire piping hot for hours, then open the drum.
The wood will have charred into fine pieces of homemade charcoal, perfect for use in gunpowder. Get elemental sulfur. This naturally-occurring substance is often used to acidify the soil, so you can find it in garden stores or from online sources that sell garden supplies. Elemental sulfur occurs naturally and is mined from beds in Texas, Louisiana, Italy, and other locations around the world.
Part 2. Finely grind the ingredients. Grind each ingredient separately, cleaning the mortar and pestle in between uses. You can use a ball mill to grind the components if you're planning on making a lot of gunpowder. A ball mill is used to both grind and mix powders safely. Measure out the gunpowder components. Using the right ratio of ingredients is very important when you're making gunpowder. Calculate the percentage by weight, using a small scale to weigh the different ingredients.
Here's how much you need: Mix the ingredients together. Place them all in the mortar, moisten for safety, and grind them together with the pestle for 10 minutes or longer. If you're using a ball mill, mill the charcoal and sulfur together for 4 hours first, then add the saltpeter and mill the mixture for another 24 hours. Be extremely careful around the black powder once it has been mixed. Do not smoke or light a flame anywhere close to the powder, and keep it away from heat.
Consider adding water. Continue mixing the gunpowder, adding water in small increments until the gunpowder is the texture of thick clay. Form it into a ball when you're finished. If you mix the gunpowder with water, you'll need to corn the gunpowder, or break it up into small pieces. Run the gunpowder ball through a kitchen sieve to break it into small pieces, then let the pieces dry out on a piece of paper.
Again, be extremely careful around the gunpowder. Exercise caution at every stage. Store the black powder safely. Consider storing it in a fireproof box in a shed or another area outside your home. In any case, store the black powder in a stable area where it will not come into contact with a flame or be exposed to high temperatures.
You can buy powder containers at hardware stores or online. Some recommend using empty unused paint cans to store black powder.
Note that it is also illegal in some areas to store explosive materials in a residence or dwelling. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms U. It will fizzle out. The process requires the large burning surface exposed in charcoal to work well.
Changing the ratio of the ingredients affects the rate at which the gunpowder burns and the amount of smoke that is produced. While black powder and traditional gunpowder may both be used in firearms, the term "black powder" was introduced in the late 19th century in the United States to distinguish newer formulations from traditional gunpowder. Black powder produces less smoke than the original gunpowder formula. It's worth noting early black powder was actually off-white or tan in color, not black!
Pure amorphous carbon is not used in black powder. Charcoal, while it contains carbon, also contains cellulose from incomplete combustion of wood. This gives charcoal a relatively low ignition temperature. Black powder made from pure carbon would barely burn. There is no single "recipe" for gunpowder. This is because varying the ratio of the ingredients produces different effects. Powder used in firearms needs to burn at a fast rate to quickly accelerate a projectile.
A formulation used as a rocket propellant, on the other hand, needs to burn more slowly because it accelerates a body over a long period of time. Cannon, like rockets, use a powder with a slower burn rate. One rocket formula consisted of Historians believe gunpowder originated in China. Originally, it was used as an incendiary.
Later, it found use as a propellant and explosive. Still, they did learn something important: Over time, their research shows, the newer recipes evolved to blast the stone ball at a cooler ignition temperature.
Throughout the centuries, gunners had been grappling with how to get rid of the heat produced by igniting gunpowder, because they faced the risk of an overheated cannon exploding, or a flame of hot gases escaping from the back of the weapon. Riegner measured the temperature of the cannon and found the two earliest recipes produced the most heat, although the differences were only a few degrees Celsius.
And that, he feels, could only be resolved by field testing. West Point researchers fired five stone cannonballs during the test of various medieval gunpowder recipes. Spencer says that the 14th and 15th centuries were hothouses for gunpowder experimentation. During the earlier part of the 14th century, gunpowder was the domain of alchemists who sourced their saltpeter and sulfur from traders arriving from China and India. But later, European gunpowder became widely accessible, and the recipes changed as weapons evolved.
Cannon makers lengthened the barrels to give them a longer and more accurate range, while handheld guns were developed at the same time. Rogers says the experiment was eye-opening for someone who has spent much of his career studying medieval warfare.
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