Gunpowder

Step 2 Mixing the chemicals

As long as you always follow the 75:15:10 ratio of potassium nitrate:charcoal powder:sulfur powder you can make any amount of gunpowder necessary. First either determine the necessary amount and mix the chemicals accordingly, or you can make a large batch and save it for future use (I do it this way). A decent sized batch would be 300 grams potassium nitrate, 60 grams charcoal powder, and 40 grams sulfur powder.

Steps:

1. If you are using an electric scale, place a container (I use dixie plastic cups) on it to measure the chemicals into. Then press and hold the "tare" button and it will take the added weight into account and set itself to zero (meaning the weight of the cup wont be taken into effect when you measure out the weight of the chemcials)
2. Measure the proper amount of each chemical, one chemical at a time, into the cups and then empty each cup into the ball mill.
3. When all 3 chemicals are in the ball mill grinding chamber seal it and turn it on.

Comments

[buildingteen]

does it have to be weight or can you just mix 75 quarter teaspoons to 15 quarter teaspoons to 10 quarter teaspoons, and where can you get sulfur?

[dvarner]

i buy potassium nitrate and sulfer all the time, i make my own powder, but my potassium nitrate i mainly use on military grade smoke bombs, one smoke bomb the size of a pop can will cover a 2 block area if u know wat ure doin, u can by both at almost any hardware store, plant shop anything like that, i buy a big bottle of dry stump killer for $4 and it last quite a while

[MajorBromley]

its not as acurat and u can get it from ebay

[dutch712]

garden store or nursery

[liam552]

the plant shop has sulfur for fertilizer.

[Tetranitrate]

It has to be weight, its the only sure way of measuring the proper amounts.

[JamesRPatrick]

Yeah, if you measure by volume, it'll probably screw you over. Particle size and thus space between particles varies from different suppliers.

[JamesRPatrick]

In a different experiment, measuring by mass made a smoke bomb; measuring by volume made a rocket.

[benthekahn]

Not to be technical, but its actually in mass.

[fennecfanatic]

Pathological circumstances notwithstanding, units of weight and units of mass are generally interchangeable on Earth at reasonable altitudes.

Even more technically speaking, electric scales measure weight, not mass. Consider an object resting on a scale falling in an elevator. The mass of the object does not change, but the readout on the scale would, due to the lower effective gravity.

The only accurate way to measure *mass* is to use a balance, since both ends of the scale would be affected equally by whatever gravity there is, and so the reading would be the same.

Mmm... physics. =)

[dutch712]

if your mind wondering this much, don't play with this stuff, you could smart yourself right in to the burn unit of the nearest hospital. You have had pain till you have had a powder burn, it fells like it goes inside the pores and burns it s way out.

[cseaman]

also united nuclear has chemicals so you can get just about anyhting you need from there.

[LukeQuietus]

A few quick things. 1. Using the plastic and electric scale is fine for measuring the ingredients separately. It's when they're together I'd be careful. But plastic isn't too dangerous. In china in fireworks factories they have a metal cylinder everyone has to touch before handling anything to take the possible static charge from your hands. 2. I'd work outside. Seeing as Potassium Nitrate will give it's own source of oxygen a fire inside with this around would be impossible to put out. 3. Use stones in the grinding mill to avoid sparks and possible charges. Obvious really. Also I'd make sure the inside of the Ball Mill has no metal just in case. 4. Mix the three in the grinding mill with some boilng water. This will help the binding process. Afterwards use rubbing alchohol which has been chilled in a freezer for 24 hours to remove the water and then sieve, CAREFULLY. Remember that's a metal sieve there. Perhaps a coffee filter would be better... 5. Use extension cords for the Ball Mill. This will mean you can stand behind a wall to turn it on and off so if it does blow up you're nowhere near it.

[chemguy]

Actually, gunpowder type mixtures are quite safe near static. And if you ball mill, with lead media, you're going to be fine. It's when you get to FLASH POWDER that you want to be careful with static and friction.

[Mr.Mayhem]

and where do you get led balls from to put in the ball mill

[TjT]

You could use large fishing weights...

[dutch712]

DO Not use any ferrous metal balls or container in milling you stuff, I use pvc pipe and end caps, then made plaster of Paris to make cask of jack ball or golf balls then poured lead into them or you could buy some musket ball from a a shooting supply or from a sporting goods store. Just nothing that will cause a spark.

[archmonde11]

I think we can replace the lead ball by other metal ball bearing. Do not use ceramic, glass and wood

[gigilihooie]

oh hey u could get the lead balls from a hunting store or a fishing store (fishing weights)

[fennecfanatic]

That's a great suggestion. I might be able to get all my shopping done in town, heh.

[blackvayne5000]

what is the 75:15:10 ratio

[fennecfanatic]

Relatedly, why isn't this ratio reduced? I look at that "75:15:10" and think "why not 15:3:2?"

[Tetranitrate]

It is the ratio of weights. All pyrotechnic powders are measured by their weight, so for example you wanted to make 100 grams of gunpowder, you would have 75 g. potassium nitrate, 15 g. charcoal powder, and 10 g. sulfur.

[gwarboy2000]

ok, I have no clue why people always say combine all 3 chems in a ball mill, people don't know that KNO3 is friction sensitive and is even more dangerous when combined together. DO NOT COMBINE ALL 3 INTO THE MILL!!!!! THERE IS A RISK OF EXPLOSION!!!!!!!!!. screen all the materials together with a 100 mesh screen. never never never combine in a ball mill!

[ohshnit1]

i have also heard of people using a 80:10:10 ratio does the result change much? it seams like the increase in KNO3 would speed up the burn time.

[Applejacks]

Yes, and it goes BOOM louder. And if you use less, then it burns slower. I use a 60:30:10 ratio to make model rocket engines (fun!), for a slow, controlled burn.

[PKTraceur]

You may want to increase the charcoal, (Fuel,) and the ration should be 70:20:10 KNO3, Charcoal, Sulfur

[Tombini]

its less stoichometric but it would burn... like green mix I think

[H.e. man]

Will a rock mill work? it baasicly the same thing but its static electricity formed in the mill im worried about.

[duct tape]

Just use anti-static spray.

[Mr.Mayhem]

you can get charcoal powder from crushing charcoal and you can get potassium nitrate from grants stump remover but where do you get sulfur. I've heard that you can get it from a garden store for repeling snakes but is there an easier way??