DR. H. DEBUS ON THE CHEMICAL THEORY OF GUNPOWDER. 
527 
The combined weights of potassic sulphocyanate, ammonic carbonate, hydrogen, marsh 
gas, and sulphuretted hydrogen amount, according to Table II., to about 1’5 per cent. 
They evidently originate from secondary reactions, and may, accordingly, be neglected 
in the following considerations. 
A theory of the explosion of gunpowder ought to explain the formation of potassic 
carbonate, potassic sulphate, potassic sulphide, carbonic acid and carbonic oxide. 
Potassic hyposulphite is not a primary product, but is formed during the analysis of 
the powder residue. 
If we select two from several experiments published by Noble and Abel, viz. : 
one in which the maximum amount of potassic carbonate and the minimum of sulphate 
were produced, and another which yielded the largest quantity of potassic sulphate 
and the smallest of carbonate, then, according to M. Berthelot, the explosion which 
produced the results of the first case, may be represented by three equations— 
-§■ of the powder was transformed according to equation 
2KN0 3 +3C + S=K 2 S + 3C0 2 fi-N 3 ,.I. 
\ according to 
2KN0 3 +3C+S=K 2 C0 3 +C0 2 -hC0+N 2 +S,.II. 
-J according to 
2KNO 3 +3C+S=K a CO 3 +l-5OO a +0-5C+S+N 8 .... III. 
and in the second case, with a maximum of potassic sulphate, 
-ij- of the powder was transformed according to equation I, 
about J according to III, 
•g- according to 
2KN0 3 +3C+S=K 2 S0 4 +2C0+C+N 2 ,.IV. 
and Y 2 according to 
2KN0 3 +3C+S=K 2 S0 4 +C0 2 +C 2 +N 2 .V. 
Between the limits, marked by these two cases, are contained all the experimental 
results of Noble and Abel. If, therefore, we assume that in a given experiment one 
portion of the powder used burnt according to the equations of the first, and the rest 
according to those of the second case, the calculated results will agree with the observa¬ 
tions. And if the proportions of powder, which are transformed according to the one 
or other system of equations, be changed from experiment to experiment, the quantities 
of the products of combustion obtained in each experiment can be calculated in a 
satisfactory manner. 
The assumption that during explosion one portion of the powder is transformed 
according to one and another portion according to another equation or system of equations 
is justified in the opinion of M. Berthelot by the further assumption, that the local 
conditions in a mass of burning powder are not the same in all parts, and that the 
cooling is too rapid to allow the products to assume a state of chemical equilibrium. 
MDCCCLXXX1I. 3 Y 
