DR. H. DEBUS OH THE CHEMICAL THEORY OF G-UUPOWDER. 
549 
Saltpetre . 
Sulphur, 
Carbon . 
Hydrogen . 
Oxygen. . 
Composition of the powders. 
Cannon powder. 
16*00 mols. 
. . 8’70 atoms. 
. . 19-80 „ 
. . 8-32 „ 
. . 2-50 „ 
Rifle powder. 
16'00 mols. 
5'66 atoms. 
20-57 „ 
8-80 „ 
2-34 „ 
Composition of the products of combustion of quantities of powder which contain 
16 mols. of saltpetre. 
Potassic carbonate. 
Cannon powder. 
3"05 mols. 
Rifle powder. 
3‘27 mols. 
,, sulphate . 
4-61 „ 
4-52 „ 
,, hyposulphite. 
0-31 „ 
0-20 „ 
,, sulphide . 
o-oi „ 
o-oo „ 
Carbonic acid # .... 
9-23 „ 
11'46 „ 
„ oxide .... 
2-04 „ 
1-15 „ 
Nitrogen. 
7'55 „ 
8-06 „ 
Sulphuretted hydrogen . 
0-17 „ 
0-J 4 „ 
Hydrogen. 
2*36 atoms. 
3 "01 atoms. 
Marsh gas. 
0"55 mol. 
0 ‘67 mol. 
Ammonia. 
0-92 „ 
0-91 „ 
Carbon. 
4'61 atoms. 
4‘74 atoms. 
Sulphur. 
3-16 „ 
0-79 „ 
Calculated from the products of combustion, we obtain for 
Cannon powder . . . 16KN0 3 +19’48C + 7'66H + 8'58S 
V -y- > 
Charcoal. 
Rifle powder .... 16KNO s +21‘4C+8*7H-|-5*6f S 
Charcoal. -j-1 * 0 4 N. 
The potassic carbonate, potassic sulphate, potassic hyposulphite, and potassic 
sulphide, the nitrogen, carbonic acid, and carbonic oxide added together, amount in the 
case of the cannon powder to 89"6, and in that of the rifle powder to 92*0 per cent, of 
the exploded powder. 7*2 per cent, of carbon and sulphur of the cannon powder and 3*7 
per cent, of the same elements of the rifle powder, remained free at the end of the 
explosion. The sum of all the other products, therefore, does not amount to more 
than 3 or 4 per cent., and as, with the exception of the nitrogen in the ammonia, 
* Inclusive of the carbonic acid combined with ammonia. 
