Theory of Gunpowder. 



508 



0-0034578 nitre, and which must therefore be subtracted from 

 the quantity of nitrate of potash found in one measure of 

 thehquid. One measure gave « = 005612, fj = 46'6, ^ = 23"3, 

 which corresponds to 0'077808 grm., or after subtracting the 

 above quantity, to 007435 grm, niti'e. 



8. Carbonate of Potash and Hydrate of Potash. — One measure 

 gave 0-1124 grm. CO^ and 0-2240 grm. Mn^O^ After sub- 

 tracting the quantity of carbonate of potash equivalent to the 

 carbonate of ammonia (6), this 0-1124 CO^ corresponds to 

 0-3531 grm. carbonate of potash, which is equivalent to 

 0-19539 grm. Mn^O^ This 0-19539 grm., subtracted from the 

 0-2240 grm., leaves 002860 grm. Mn^O^ which is equivalent 

 to 0-03515 KO. But since the quantity of potash equivalent 

 to the sulphide of potassium amounts to 0-03635 grm., it may 

 be assumed that no hydrate of potash is present. 



Hence there are contained in one measure, — 



0-84463 corresp.toO-45676 potash. 

 0-25279 „ 0-17233 „ 



0-03232 

 0-03637 

 0-00000 

 0-00296 

 0-03464 



0-73538 



Sulphate of potash 

 Carbonate of potash . 

 Hj^osulphite of potash . . 006525 

 Sulphide of potassium . . 0-04255 

 Hydrate of potash . . . 000000 

 Sulphocyanide of potassium 00611 

 Nitrate of potash .... 007435 



Charcoal 001456 



Sulphur 0-00266 



Carbonate of ammonia\ ^ nf^fnn 

 2(NH4 0),3C02 J -^2^^ 



1-35999 

 One measure gave 1-38 grm. sulphate of potash, correspond- 

 ing to 0-7463 grm. potash, which agrees as closely with the 

 potash found from the analysis as can be expected. Hence the 

 gunpowder and the products into which it decomposes in its 

 combustion, have the following composition : — 



A. 

 Gunpowder. 



B. 



Nitre . 



Sulphur 

 rCarbon 

 ■< Hydrogen 

 [^Oxygen 



Solid products of decomposition. 



78-99 Sulphate of potash . . . .62-10 

 9-84 Carbonate of potash . . . 18-58 

 7-69 Hyposulphite of potash . . 4-80 

 0-41 Sulphide of potassium . . 3-13 



3-0 7 Sulphocyanide of potassium . 0-45 

 100-00 Nitrate of potash .... 5*47 



Charcoal 1-07 



Sulphur 0-20 



Sesquicarbonatc of ammonia . 4-20 



100-00 



