megalomania
September 29th, 2002, 07:01 PM
Teck
Frequent Poster
Posts: 146
From:
Registered: JAN 2001
posted January 21, 2001 11:56 PM
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I have access to alot of amonium nitrate
(AN/FO)and was wondering if I could sunstitute it for potasium nitrate to make black powder. If anyone knows please answer.
ALENGOSVIG1
Moderator
Posts: 766
From: Vancouver, Canada
Registered: NOV 2000
posted January 22, 2001 12:07 AM
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Ammonpulver
Propellant powder made from ammonium nitrate is about as powerful as smokeless powder and has long had a limited use for military purposes, particularly in Germany and Austria. The Austrian army used Ammonpulver, among others, during the first World War, and it is possible that the powder is now, or may be at any time, in use.
Gans of Hamburg in 1885 patented [ " Ger. Pat. 37,631] a powder which contained no sulfur an was made from 40 to 45 per cent potassium nitrate, 35 to 38 per cent ammonium nitrate, and 14 to 22 per cent charcoal. This soon came into use under the name of Amidpulver, and was later improved by decreasing the proportion of potassium nitrate. A typical improved Amidpulver, made from potassium nitrate 14 per cent, ammonium nitrate 37 per cent, and charcoal 49 per cent, gives a flashless discharge when fired in a gun and only a moderate amount of smoke. Ammonpulver which contains no potassium nitrate-in a typical example ammonium nitrate 85 per cent and charcoal 15 per cent, or a similar mixture containing in addition a small amount of aromatic nitro compound is flashless and gives at most only a thin bluish-gray smoke which disappears rapidly. Rusch has published data [seediest?], January, 1909, cited by Escales, "Ammonsalpetersprengstoffe," Leipzig, 1909, p. 217] which show that the temperature of the gases from the burning of ammonpulver (ammonium nitrate 80 to 90 per cent, charcoal 20 to 10 per cent) is below 900', and that the ballistic effect is approximately equal to that of ballistite containing one-third of its weight of nitroglycerin.
Ammonpulver has the advantages of being cheap, powerful, flashless, and smokeless. It is insensitive to shock and to friction, and is more difficult to ignite than black powder. In use it requires a strong igniter charge. It burns rapidly, and in gunnery is used in the form of single-perforated cylindrical grains usually of a diameter nearly equal to that of the space within the cartridge. It has the disadvantages that it is extremely hygroscopic and that it will not tolerate wide changes of temperature without injury. The charges must be enclosed in cartridges which are effectively sealed against the ingress of moisture from the air. Ammonium nitrate has a transition point at 32.1'. If Ammonpulver is warmed above this temperature, the ammonium nitrate which it contains undergoes a change of crystalline state; this results in the crumbling of the large powder grains and consequent high pressures and, perhaps, bursting of the gun if the charge is fired. At the present time Ammonpulver appears to be the only modification of black powder which has interesting possibilities as a military propellant.
The full text is availible at my website in The pyrotechnics and miscellaneous section in the duckument on black powder..also check out 165 flash compositions also availible on my site
Frequent Poster
Posts: 146
From:
Registered: JAN 2001
posted January 21, 2001 11:56 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have access to alot of amonium nitrate
(AN/FO)and was wondering if I could sunstitute it for potasium nitrate to make black powder. If anyone knows please answer.
ALENGOSVIG1
Moderator
Posts: 766
From: Vancouver, Canada
Registered: NOV 2000
posted January 22, 2001 12:07 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ammonpulver
Propellant powder made from ammonium nitrate is about as powerful as smokeless powder and has long had a limited use for military purposes, particularly in Germany and Austria. The Austrian army used Ammonpulver, among others, during the first World War, and it is possible that the powder is now, or may be at any time, in use.
Gans of Hamburg in 1885 patented [ " Ger. Pat. 37,631] a powder which contained no sulfur an was made from 40 to 45 per cent potassium nitrate, 35 to 38 per cent ammonium nitrate, and 14 to 22 per cent charcoal. This soon came into use under the name of Amidpulver, and was later improved by decreasing the proportion of potassium nitrate. A typical improved Amidpulver, made from potassium nitrate 14 per cent, ammonium nitrate 37 per cent, and charcoal 49 per cent, gives a flashless discharge when fired in a gun and only a moderate amount of smoke. Ammonpulver which contains no potassium nitrate-in a typical example ammonium nitrate 85 per cent and charcoal 15 per cent, or a similar mixture containing in addition a small amount of aromatic nitro compound is flashless and gives at most only a thin bluish-gray smoke which disappears rapidly. Rusch has published data [seediest?], January, 1909, cited by Escales, "Ammonsalpetersprengstoffe," Leipzig, 1909, p. 217] which show that the temperature of the gases from the burning of ammonpulver (ammonium nitrate 80 to 90 per cent, charcoal 20 to 10 per cent) is below 900', and that the ballistic effect is approximately equal to that of ballistite containing one-third of its weight of nitroglycerin.
Ammonpulver has the advantages of being cheap, powerful, flashless, and smokeless. It is insensitive to shock and to friction, and is more difficult to ignite than black powder. In use it requires a strong igniter charge. It burns rapidly, and in gunnery is used in the form of single-perforated cylindrical grains usually of a diameter nearly equal to that of the space within the cartridge. It has the disadvantages that it is extremely hygroscopic and that it will not tolerate wide changes of temperature without injury. The charges must be enclosed in cartridges which are effectively sealed against the ingress of moisture from the air. Ammonium nitrate has a transition point at 32.1'. If Ammonpulver is warmed above this temperature, the ammonium nitrate which it contains undergoes a change of crystalline state; this results in the crumbling of the large powder grains and consequent high pressures and, perhaps, bursting of the gun if the charge is fired. At the present time Ammonpulver appears to be the only modification of black powder which has interesting possibilities as a military propellant.
The full text is availible at my website in The pyrotechnics and miscellaneous section in the duckument on black powder..also check out 165 flash compositions also availible on my site