[mr.v.]

Hi--

I suppose this is a random question. I know old time gunpowder as opposed to the new smokeless varieties is made up of Sulfur, Potassium Nitrate, and Charcoal.

I guess I was wondering where all those came from both historically and modern day...

I know charcoal is made by heating wood in the absence of oxygen. But what form is carbon in? I'm sure it isn't diamond so I suppose would leave graphite and the buckminster-fuller arrangement? Does the heating remove the nitrogen and phosphorus etc from wood?

I read somewhere that potassium nitrate was historically made by essentially deforesting large areas and burning it to make ash. The ash was then mixed with urine and manure for a year or so, then it was leached with water and dried.

I'm guessing we still don't make potassium nitrate that way? and how is it made now?

Also where does sulfur come from? Do you just mine near a volcano?

Thanks!

[Alberto_Kravina]

One source of potassium nitrate were/are the huge reserviours in chile (atacama desert).

http://www.american.edu/TED/nitrate.htm

[constant thinker]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur#Occurrence

Appearantly they mine it. Also it seams that large amounts of sulfur are given off as a byproduct of the processing of gasoline, pyrite (a type iron ore), and many other metal ores. Potassium nitrate is also called saltpetre.

[Bakegaku]

the aim of heating wood is to remove phosphorous, nitrogen, and the many other elements that may be present (oxygen, hydrogen, magnesium etc.).  The carbon in charcoal is amorphous, which means it has no crystal and doesn't bond with any particular pattern, so it is neither graphite, diamond, or buckminsterfullerine.  

Sulphur is usually mined, but I don't think they necessarily get it from volcanoes.  Then again, I'd suggest looking at Constant Thinker's link for that  

I'd check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_peter for information on Potassium Nitrate.

[hmx9123]

The charcoal isn't pure carbon--if you use activated carbon or amorphous carbon, your black powder is going to be terrible.  You need to cook the wood to make charcoal--amorphous carbon with a lot of volatile organic material still left on it.  If you cook the wood too long, you lose these chemicals and the charcoal is terrible.  The best type of wood to use is black willow.  Check out the voluminous threads on it and black powder in general on rec.pyrotechnics.

[jdurg]

I don't think anything can beat the smell of burned gunpowder/smokeless powder after having just fired off a few rounds and letting your gun rest for a bit in order to cool down the barrell.  

[hmx9123]

Gunpowder refers to smokeless powder here in america; it refers to black powder in britian.

My favorite smell is that of a newly fired shotgun hull.  Fantastic.  Black powder burning is a close second.