As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter........
The terms, explosive and propellant, are not here used as synonymous— they are not convertible; for a chemical mixture may possess the explosive power in a much higher degree than the propellant: fulminating gold, silver, and mercury, are dreadfully explosive; but they have not the same projectile force, nor can they be used as a substitute for it. Several experiments have been made with compounds of this nature, but the result is the reverse of what might be expected. Nothing can resist the exceeding intensity of the action of fulminating powder; a shot, when fired in this way, is not projected as by gunpowder, but is split into fragments by the velocity of its explosion,
William Greener. Gunnery in 1858 / Being a Treatise on Rifles, Cannon, and Sporting Arms
The mixture of fulminating mercury composition is:
Fulminating mercury 3 grains or ounces.
Chlorate of potash 5 do.
Sulphur 1 do.
Powdered glass 1 do.
The above is one of the best compounds in use.
Chlorate of Potash 6 grains or ounces.
Sulphur 3 do.
Glass, powdered 1 do.
Charcoal, ditto 1 / 2 do.
William Greener. Gunnery in 1858 / Being a Treatise on Rifles, Cannon, and Sporting Arms
I never would have dreamed for caps in firearms that powdered glass would be one of the ingredients.
So many things are lost in history for who would have ever though that heavy metals fuliminated would be explosive, and yet that indeed is the case. Fuliminated mercury is one of the high explosives in being fast burning and as stated dreadfully explosive.
To fuliminate a heavy metal, one exposes it to fulminic acid which is CNOH or a molecular chain of Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Hydrogen which is unstable and linked with the "explosive salts" in being an isomer of cyanic acid which is converted to the mammalian poison of cyanide.
These esters are formed in the fuliminating process of a reaction between an acid and an alcohol, which form various deadly things to end life to explosions.
It all breaks down to hydrogen atoms. Acids release hydrogen atoms and in alcohol the hydroxyl group of OH or oxygen and hydrogen are prevalent.
It is that OH chain which is giving and taking those molecules which is the process involved. It makes me wonder if the reason one gets drunk on alcohol is that OH factor absorbed into the bloodstream, of too much hydrogen literally suffocates the human. Fascinating in females process alcohol as an upper and males as a downer. Perhaps females absorb more oxygen in the process to a point and males are incapable of the process and only absorb the hydrogen.
What do you think this is, a biology class??? This is about chemistry and pyrotechnics.
Fuliminate of mercury is something which is common in it is a product used when dried, in blasting caps and primers. Struck or heated it detonates which is not so great if you have a train load of it.
So in the percussion arts, it is this alchemy which starts off the big bang, like an atom bomb is used to detonate a hydrogen bomb.
One never thinks that gold or silver could produce an explosion, and yet that is the case. Those acids are fascinating from potassium nitrate to fuliminate of mercury, in it has that acid doing that hydrogen dance which stores energy and releases it readily in explosive form.
In just 1600 Penn Avenue terror running of al Qaeda, one would think that like James Bond that instead of Gold Finger, that one had Terror Finger who blew things up with fuliminate of gold would be quite catchy in the Obama puppy press. Instead of cobra venom and human poop bombs or condom bombs, the signature would be a gold bomb. Certainly more Obama chic than some Ted Kazinsky not bathing and whittling bombs out of popscicle sticks in Montana.
Always the problem in this, is back in the day the KGB was killing people with castor powder pellets injected off of umbrellas or Putin was giving atomic poison to Londonians. This Homeland stuff just cancer bombs Hugo Chavez......not much allure there as no one wants to be known as the cancer bomber.
Now that I have brought you all to focus again on the past crimes of the regime and what is KGB cool, you can now take the rest of the internet off as you have learned enough today.
“Man’s earliest arms were fingers, teeth, and nails, And stones and fragments from the branching woods;”
agtG
