US1385245A - Composition for detonators - Google Patents

Description

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL M. COOK AND BENNETT GROTTA, OF TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO ATLAS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

COM-POSITION FOB; DETONATORS- 1 ,385,245. Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RUSSELL M. (100K and BENNETT GROTTA, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Tama ua, in the county of Schuylkill and State of ennsylvania, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Compositlons for Detonators, of which the following is a specification.

Ourinvention relates particularly to an improvement in a composition used for detonating explosive charges, as for example, dynamite, or gelatin, and it has for object to'provide an improved compos1t1on of this nature by virtue of which the explosion temperature of the detonating composition may be reduced to a point materially below the explosion temperature of lead azid alone.

The heavy metal salts of hydrazoic acid, for example, lead azid, have been proposed alone and in conjunction with other explosives, as a charge for detonators. Lead azid, and most of the heretofore proposed mixtures of lead azid with other explosives, suffer from the serious disadvantage of having a high explosion temperature. For instance fulminate of mercury explodes upon being heated to 150 C. to 160 (1, whereas lead azid explodes at 320 C. to 350 C.

The undesirabilityof this characteristic in a material which is to be exploded by the spit of a fuse, electric spark or like means of ignition, is apparent and has been a recognized drawback to the commercial application of lead azid.

We have discovered that a mixture of lead azid, and trinitrophenylmethyl nitroamin, the latter commercially known as tetryl, gives an eflicient initiating explosive, the temperature of explosion of which is much lower than that of lead azid itself, and

which is much more easil exploded by the spit of a fuse or similar 1gnition than lead azid alone. The explosion temperature of lead azid alone is 320 C. to 350 (3., while the explosion tem rature of the lead azidtetryl mixture is low 250 C.

We have found 80 parts of lead azid-to 20 parts of trinitrophenylmethylnitroamin to be an efficient mixture for the purposes reclted. The mixture of lead azid and tetryl may be used either as the only charge of a blastlng cap or as a priming charge, the mam charge consisting of some other exploslve or mlxture of explosives, as is common in blasting cap manufacture. Trinitro-toluol or trinitrop-henylmethylnitroamin or a mixture of trinitrotoluol and trinitrophenyle methylnitroamin as the superimposed compos1t1on makes a highly efiicient blasting cap having a low exploslon temperature.

While we have iven an example of definite proportions 0% lead azid and tetryl, we

wish it to be understood that any mixturev may be used within the limits of 40 parts lead azid and 60 parts tetryl to 95 parts lead azid and 5 parts tetryl. tion for detonators is intended to mean any charge used for initiating the detonation of other explosives.

Having described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A blasting cap mixture of lead azid methylnitroamin.

of explosive and a primer 0 arge comprlsing a mixture of lead azid and trinitrophenyl-methylnitroamin. I

3. A blasting cap containing a main charge of trinitrophenylmethylnitroamin and a primer charge comprising a mixture of lead azid and trinitrophenylmethylnitroamin.

4. A blasting cap containing a main charge of explosive on which is superimposed a mixture of lead azid and trinit'rophenylmethylnitroamin.

charge comprising a and trinitrophenyl- 2. A blasting cap containin a main charge Patented July 19, 1921., Application filed March 31, 1921. Serial No. 457,500.

Also a composi-j In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

RUSSELL M- COOK. BENNETT GROTTA.

Witnesses:

Gnoncn Cmusr, R. C. KNOLL.