Potassium Nitrate Gunpowder

Gunpowder is also known as black powder, which is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. The gunpowder can be made by using charcoal and potassium nitrate but if we do not use sulphur, the powder is not as strong.

Introduction to potassium nitrate gunpowder:

Potassium Nitrate Gunpowder burns rapidly and produces a volume of hot gas which is made up of carbonic acid and nitrogen, and solid residue of potassium sulphide. Gunpowder has been used as a propellant in fire alarms and as a pyrotechnic compositions in fireworks because it has the burning properties. Having problem with Permanent Magnet Motor Design keep reading my upcoming posts, i will try to help you.


Characteristics of potassium nitrate gunpowder:


Potassium carbonate is a white bitter tasting substance which is used in gunpowder as an oxidizing agent. It is produced by the action of microbes in soils which contains potash and nitrogenous organic matters and forms efflorescence upon the surface. Its main use is the making of gunpowder.

Potassium nitrate is the most essential ingredient in terms of bulk and function because oxygen is released in the combustion process from the potassium nitrate, which promotes the rapid burning of other ingredients. The potassium nitrate which is present in the gunpowder, supplies oxygen for the reaction.

The three ingredients which are present in gunpowder, are finely ground and mixed, and for this charcoal are not suitable. The crude potassium nitrate is dissolved in boiling water, filtered and allowed to cool and crystallize in a trough. It is done for the purification from nitrates of soda and lime. There is also gunpowder which is termed as prismatic.

The explosive power of gunpowder is very high. Please express your views of this topic Power Formula by commenting on blog.


Action of Gunpowder:


When nitrates are heated, it has the property to release oxygen, and this oxygen leads to the fast burning of sulfur and carbon. This results an explosion like chemical reaction when gunpowder is ignited. When carbon is burned, it consumes oxygen and produces heat and even more oxygen, etc. The presence of nitrates is important to gunpowder composition because the oxygen which is released from the nitrates exposed to heat makes the burning of sulfur and carbon faster resulting explosive action.