eonblue68 Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Hello all. I was wondering why the use of potassium nitrate instead of ammonium nitrate in the making of black powder. I have been making my own BP for a while now and have been quite successful in doing so. Tonight this question popped into my head and I was hoping someone could chime in and answer this for me. Thank you in advance and it's been a pleasure being part of this forum. I've read and learned so much but I couldn't find the answer to my question.
Arthur Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Is there a simple answer? I suspect that it's largely historic, remember that pot nitrate was first collected to make BP as long ago as 1000AD, when the ammonium ion wasn't known to the chemists of the time.
schroedinger Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 The answer is much easier. Ammonia nitrate is hygroscopic. Every BP made with it would become unusable over time. 2nd pottasium nitrate is a much stronger oxidizing agent for sulfur and charoal. If you make bp with dry ammonia nitrate, you get a powder that is just burning like a good green mix.
Arthur Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 In modern use Ammonium nitrate has several crystal forms and changes size with temperature, SO even dry grains of powder made with ammonium nitrate would crumble if warmed through (IIRC) 32C.
taiwanluthiers Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 I think someone tried to make ammonium nitrate based blackpowder called ammonpulver. I didn't work that well.
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