586 
DR. H. DEBUS OR THE CHEMICAL THEORY OF GUNPOWDER. 
The energy of a powder of the composition : 
16KN0 3 +22C + 8 S 
in about |ths greater than that of one containing : 
I 6 KNO 3 + 8 C + 8 S. 
If saltpetre and carbon are constant, but the sulphur changes, we obtain the follow¬ 
ing values for E :— 
y— 1 4 > 
2= 4? 
E = 27987’0 
y= 14, 
2=11, 
E=32852*0 
y— 16, 
2= 6, 
E=30925-8 
V— 16 , 
2= 8, 
E=32261*8 
2/— 16 ? 
2=12, 
E=34813*8 
y= is. 
2= 8, 
E=33599-8 
y— is, 
2=13, 
E=36604-8 
II 
to 
0 
2= 0, 
E=29769 
o' 
ca 
II 
55* 
2= 5, 
E=33014 
II 
to 
0 
2= 9, 
E=35430 
y= 20 , 
2=14, 
E=38225 
y= 22, 
2= 8, 
E=35985‘4 
A 
m 
CM 
II 
2=15, 
E=39674-4 
It follows from these examples that for a constant quantity of saltpetre, in varying 
mixtures of saltpetre, carbon, and sulphur, the relative energy of the mixtures 
increases with both the carbon and the sulphur, and reaches its maximum for 24 atoms 
of carbon and 16 atoms of sulphur, the highest amounts of these constituents which 
can exist in a powder according to equation (XIII.). 
The difference of E for two mixtures of the same amount of saltpetre, but varying 
quantities of carbon and sulphur, becomes much smaller with equal weights of such 
mixtures. If, then, we multiply x, y, and 2 with their respective molecular or atomic 
weights, and divide E by the sum of the numbers so obtained, we find the relative 
energy, say E', of equal weights of various mixtures. 
The following table gives the value of E' for mixtures which contain 16 mols. of 
KN0 3 , y atoms of C, and 2 atoms of S. 
y— 8, 
2 = 
8 ? 
E'= 13T8 
y= 16, 
2 = 
8 , 
E / =15‘63 
y— 18 , 
2 = 
8 , 
E'=16-09 
3 /= 22 , 
2 = 
8 
00 
0 
1— 1 
II 
