DR. H. DEEDS ON THE CHEMICAL THEORY OF GUNPOWDER. 
525 
Table II.—Containing the results of nine experiments calculated for 1 grm, 
of powder. 
Products 
of combustion. 
P. Gr. 
R. L. 
Gr. 
p. 
K.COg .... 
02429 
•2615 
•3255 
•3007 
•3017 
*3635 
•2879 
•3098 
•3680 
KoSoOo .... 
•1851 
T666 
•0780 
•1166 
•0740 
•0369 
1845 
•0338 
•0761 
K 2 S0 4 .... 
•1288 
•1268 
T204 
•1171 
1395 
•0625 
•0733 
•0658 
•0523 
k 2 s. 
•0000 
•0196 
•0252 
•0230 
•0337 
•0565 
•0128 
1055 
•0220 
KCNS .... 
•0009 
•0004 
•0004 
•0000 
•0003 
•0015 
•0022 
•0013 
•0033 
KNOg .... 
■0010 
•0005 
•0005 
•0032 
•0002 
•0000 
•0014 
■0011 
•0025 
(NH 4 ) 4 H 3 (C0 3 ) 3 . 
•0186 
•0002 
•0005 
•0003 
•0002 
•0006 
•0003 
•0004 
•0007 
S . . . . . 
•0026 
•0068 
•0306 
•0041 
•0262 
■0480 
•0111 
■0340 
•0484 
H 2 S. 
•0090 
•0080 
•0088 
•0041 
•0127 
•0067 
0129 
•0084 
•0086 
CO. 
•0316 
•0339 
•0343 
•0303 
•0390 
•0472 
•0419 
•0473 
•0362 
co 0 . 
•2689 
•2678 
•2650 
•2597 
•2610 
•2677 
•2630 
•2770 
•2710 
CH 4 . 
•0003 
•0000 
•0005 
•0006 
•0000 
•0007 
•0007 
•0012 
•0013 
H. 
•0006 
•0008 
•0007 
•0005 
•0007 
•0005 
•0005 
•0005 
•0005 
X . 
•1096 
•1071 
1096 
T201 
1108 
•1077 
•1075 
1139 
•1090 
Ho. of experiment 
XL. 
XIX. 
LXXY. 
I. 
IY. 
XXXIX. 
XXXYIII. 
XIY. 
LXXYII. 
From this table it is clear that not only powders of different description, but also 
mixtures of the same nature, will yield during combustion the products in variable 
quantities. The salts of potassium, especially the hyposulphite and sulphide, vary 
considerably in different experiments. 
Noble and Abel draw the following conclusions from the results of their 
investigations. 
1. “The variations in the composition of the products of explosion furnished in 
close chambers by one and the same powder, under different conditions as regards 
pressure, and by two powders of similar composition under the same conditions as 
regards pressure, are so considerable, that no value whatever can be attached to any 
attempt to give a general chemical expression to the metamorphosis of a gunpowder 
of normal composition (p. 137). 
“Any attempt to express, even in a comparatively complicated chemical equation, 
the nature of the metamorphosis which a gunpowder of average composition may be 
considered to undergo when exploded in a confined space, would therefore only be 
calculated to convey an erroneous impression as to the simplicity or the definite 
nature of the chemical results and their uniformity under different conditions, while 
it would, in reality, possess no important bearing upon an elucidation of the theory of 
explosion of gunpowder (p. 85). 
2. “ The proportions in which the several constituents of solid powder-residue are 
formed, are quite as much affected by slight accidental variations in the conditions 
which attend the explosion of one and the same powder in different experiments, as 
