Thread: Ulrich Bretscher's SMOKELESS BLACK POWDER & HANDGONNE web page. Re-found!

Originally Posted by Tentman

Hmmm - farken great thread resurrection, just added another high priority project to my lockdown list, now to scrounge some saltpetre

The extent you have pre-pulverised the charcoal is critical for having good powder. It determines how intimately the saltpetre crystals are associated with the charcoal. Basically, the better ground the charcoal the larger its surface area onto which saltpetre crystallises when the solution cools! Using the wet method/CIA method/Mickey Duck method, you don't grind the saltpetre - this gets dissolved and then recrystallises onto the charcoal, hence the focus on as fine as possible charcoal.

Tentman, where in Invercargill are you going to scrounge KNO3 in a lockdown situation?

I've requested a copy of that academic paper linked in my last post, see if something comes through. If anyone is a member of Researchgate ( @stug ?) they may be able to help here. Looks like it's got some info that needs to be added to this thread.