UR. H. DEBITS ON THE CHEMICAL THEORY OF GUNPOWDER 
Chief* products of combustion— 
Potassic sulphate 
. 0-2891 
„ carbonate . 
. 0-1537 
„ hyposulphite . . 
. 0*0374 
„ disulphide . 
. 0-0959 
Carbonic acid * .... 
. 0-2345 
,, oxide .... 
. 0-0118 
Nitrogen. 
. 0-0952 
0-9176 
By-products— 
Potassic sulphocyanate 
. 0-0116 
Sulphuretted hydrogen 
. 0-0238 
Hydrogen. 
. 0-0003 
Oxygen .. 
. o-oooi 
Ammonia and water . . 
. 0-0098 
0-0456 
Powder constituents not decomposed or burnt— 
Saltpetre. 
. 0-0120 
Carbon. 
0-0183 
Sulphur. 
. 0-0031 
0-0334 
Hence— 
Chief products .... 
. 0-9176 
By-products .... 
. 0-0456 
Not burnt. 
. 0-0334 
• 
0-9966 
563 
If we express the quantities of the chief products by means of molecular weights, 
and calculate how much of each would be formed by the combustion of a quantity of 
powder containing 16 mols. of saltpetre, we obtain : 
2-43K a CO 3 +3*64K s SO 4! +0-43K s S 2 O 3 +l*47K s S a +ll-7lCO s -|- 0-92CO+14-94N 
and expressed in powder constituents : 
16KNO s +15-06C+7-44S-l-06N-0-52O. 
The powder contained, according to analysis : 
16KN0 3 +16-3C+8-4S. 
* Inclusive of the carbonic acicl in the ammonic carbonate. 
