Essay About Black Powder And Ball Mills

How to Make Black Powder
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How to Make Black Powder
(and other explosives)
Introduction
Black Powder, also known as Gunpowder, is an explosive that has been around, literally,
for centuries. The exact origins of the formula are lost in time, but it is known that the
Chinese used Black Powder in weaponry at least 1,000 years ago.
Technically, Black Powder burns by a process known as deflagration. This differs from
detonation in that Black Powder produces subsonic shock waves, as opposed to the
supersonic shock waves produced by explosives such as Dynamite, C-4 or TNT. This
means that Black Powder is better suited as a propellant (such as in fireworks, bullets and
cannons) than blasting (such as in construction or demolition).
Safety
Black Powder is dangerous!. The powder burns at a very high temperature, and is easily
ignited. (High grade powder doesnt even need a flame to ignite – it can be set off by
percussion, such as the firing pin of a pistol.) Basically, what I am saying is that if you
are not careful, you could land up with very severe burns, or worse. Some basic
guidelines to follow:
1) Always mix ingredients in small amounts. Do not try to make 10 Kg of black
powder (or any explosive) in one batch. Mixing small amounts of powder limits
the potential damage should an unexpected explosion occur.
2) Keep your workplace tidy. Always carefully clean up spilled chemicals. Some
materials can spontaneously combust when mixed (this is especially true of
nitrates and chlorates). For the same reason, use separate instruments (plastic
spoons, mixing cups, etc) for different chemicals. Label your instruments so that
you know what materials they have been in contact with.
3) Mix materials outdoors. Chemical explosives contain their own internal source of
oxygen, and cannot be smothered. If you start a chemical fire indoors, it can be
nearly impossible to extinguish.
4) Be aware of static sparks. Do not use metal instruments to mix or grind materials.
Do not store chemicals in metal containers. Use ceramics or plastics wherever
possible. Store chemicals and mixtures in plastic containers or ZipLoc bags.
5) Wear safety goggles. Should the worst happen, skin can be grafted. Eyes cannot
be replaced.
Ingredients
Black Powder has traditionally consisted of three ingredients: Potassium Nitrate (KNO3,
also known as Salt Peter), Sulfur and Charcoal. The Sulfur and Charcoal provide fuel for
the reaction, while the Potassium Nitrate provides Oxygen. By themselves, Charcoal and
Sulfur will burn, albeit very slowly. The addition of an oxidizer (such as KNO3) greatly
speeds up the burn rate of the fuel, resulting in an explosive reaction.
The traditional ratio of the ingredients is 15:3:2 of KNO3, Charcoal and Sulfur by weight
(not volume!). However, simply mixing the dry ingredients together will not give you
black powder. At best, you will get a green powder that will do little more than produce
vast quantities of smoke, and annoy your neighbors. In order to make high-grade powder,
a little work is needed.
Preparing the Ingredients
The quality of the resulting powder depends on a number of factors. The most important
of these is binding, which refers to how tightly the KNO3 is mixed in with the
Charcoal/Sulfur mixture. This is why a loose binding, such as a dry mix, produces a very
low-grade powder.
The quality of the powder is defined by its burn rate, usually expressed in cm3/s. A burn
rate of about 14 cm3/s or higher is required to use the powder as a propellant. (Also,
possession and manufacture of powder with a burn rate of 14 cm3/s or higher constitutes
a weapons violation under US law, unless you are also in possession of an ATF license.)
I will present two methods of preparing black powder here. The first produces powder
with a slightly lower burn rate, but is safer to prepare. The second can produce very high
quality powder, but contains an element of danger. The methods presented here will get
you a burn rate of 14 cm3/s or better, depending on how much patience you have, and the
quality of your ingredients.
The Charcoal/Sulfur mixture must be ground as finely as possible. Simply whacking
away at your barbeque charcoal with a hammer is not going to cut it. The charcoal must
be ground into a very fine powder. Commercial manufacturers use large machines known
as ball mills to crush the charcoal and sulfur. A ball mill is basically a large rotating drum
filled with charcoal, sulfur and a crushing agent, such as lead balls or heavy stones. The
mill is rotated at high speed for up to 48 hours or longer. The result is a very finely
powdered