How Is Gunpowder Made?
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Origins
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Gunpowder was first discovered and created in ancient China, where it was found that the proper combination of ingredients could be used to form a powder that burned with explosive force. Historians generally agree that it was in the 700s A.D. that the Chinese began using gunpowder for both entertainment (fireworks) and warfare, creating rockets and cannons. Eventually, the methods of gunpowder creation traveled from China to the Islamic empire, and in time the concept spread throughout Europe as well. The monk and early scientist Francis Bacon famously described the use of gunpowder in England in 1216 A.D., where it was thought of as a substance that was solely used in weaponry.
Black Powder
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The gunpowder used in early cannons and fireworks was technically black powder, a simple version of the formulas used to make gunpowder today. Black powder was created using a very specific formula compromised of three ingredients: saltpeter, carbon and sulfur. Saltpeter is a traditional name for potassium nitrate, which was harvested from caves or decomposed manure; carbon was gathered in the form of pure charcoal; and sulfur is a mineral found in various rocks, especially near geothermal activity. The three ingredients are combined in a ratio of 15:3:2 to create black powder, although eventually a small amount of graphite was also added to help created a more stable version.
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Modern Gunpowder
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Of course, black powder is not use for weaponry today, although it still has many practical uses. In the 1890s, the British developed what was known as smokeless powder, first discovered by Alfred Nobel in his experiments using nitroglycerin to gelatinize nitrocellulose (also known as guncotton). The smokeless powder this process created was later improved upon and redesigned by other scientists until a version that could be used in firearms was created.
Today, all powder-based guns use some form of smokeless gunpowder. It is produced in flakes, cylinders, grains and round balls, and comes in a wide variety of types. Modern manufacturing techniques and understanding of the chemical process behind gunpowder have allowed manufacturers to create powders that burn at various speeds and in various ways, depending on the type of ammunition they are designed to fire.
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