DR, H. DEBUS ON THE CHEMICAL THEORY OE GUNPOWDER 
553 
Oxygen. 
A 
k 3 co 3 
k 2 so 4 
o 
o 
1 
1 
Cannon powder .... 
9*1.5 
18-44 
18-46 
1 
2 
2 
Rifle powder. 
9’90 
17-96 
22-98 
1 
1-81 
2-33 
The amount of oxygen in the products of explosion of the rifle powder has been 
found about 1 "2 per cent, too high, consequently an error attaches to one or more of 
the analytical determinations. 
The metamorphosis of the cannon powder during the first stage of the combustion 
can almost exactly, that of the rifle powder approximately, be represented by the 
equation 
10(KNO 3 ) + 8C+3S=2(K 3 CO s ) + 3(K 3 SO 4 ) + 6(CO 2 ) + 5(N 2 ) . .. (III.) 
It is worthy of notice that the ratios of the oxygen in the three principal products, 
potassic carbonate, potassic sulphate, and carbonic acid, are, according to equation 
(III.), of all possible ratios the most simple, if these products are to be formed by the 
combustion of a mixture of saltpetre, carbon, and sulphur. 
From these considerations it appears to follow that during the explosion of gun¬ 
powder, or the first stage of its combustion, the constituents of powders which differ 
in their composition will act on each other in certain fixed stochiometrical proportions. 
It may be assumed as highly probable that of the infinite number of mixtures, which 
can be prepared from saltpetre, carbon, and sulphur, some will be more combustible 
than others, and, among the more combustible mixtures, one will be found containing 
the constituents in proportions most favourable for their transformation into the chief 
products of explosion. In this most combustible mixture the number of the molecules 
of saltpetre and of the atoms of carbon and sulphur will probably stand in simple 
arithmetical relations to each other, and if a mixture containing the constituents in 
other proportions be ignited, they will tend to react on each other in the stochio¬ 
metrical proportions of the most combustible mixture. 
Equation (III.) can be transformed into : 
16KN0 3 +12-8C + 4“8S=3-2K 3 C0 3 +4*8K 2 S0 4 +9-6C0 3 +8N 3 
and as during the first stage of the combustion some carbonic oxide is probably also 
formed, we may write the equation instead 
16KN0 3 -f 13C+5S=3K 3 C0 3 + 5K 3 S0 4 +9C0 2 -fC0-f 8N 3 . . (IV.) 
This equation explains the experiments of Karolyi in a very satisfactory manner. 
4 B 2 
