Gun Powder Research Articles

Detection of Smokeless Powder Residue on Pipe Bombs by Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary Electrophoresis

Abstract Improvised explosive devices are an increasing concern among law enforcement agencies within the United States because of their destructive capability. Capillary electrophoresis has been used previously for the forensic analysis of inorganic constituents in explosives. Micellar electrokinetic capillary electrophoresis (MECE), also known as micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC), is well suited for the forensic analysis of organic constituents of these materials because of its high sensitivity and small sample requirements. In the present study, pipe bombs filled with known types of smokeless gun powder were detonated under controlled conditions. Samples of explosive residue were collected from the post-blast fragments and analyzed using MECE. The results were compared to the known types and analyzed to investigate the feasibility of matching post-blast residue to a specific powder used as explosive charge.

Bombshell: The Secret Story of America’s Unknown Atomic Spy Conspiracy by Joseph Albright and Marcia Kunstel

Now that the dust is settling and the mania for secrecy generated during World War II is subsiding, it allows the printing of a well-documented publication about the accomplishments of spies in their efforts to break the wall of secrecy established by the U.S. and British governments surrounding the first great breakthrough of weaponry since the invention of gun powder.

Erosive burning of a solid propellant in a supersonic flow

We present results of an experimental study of burning of a ballistite solid propellant (gun powder H) in a supersonic flow. It is shown that the criterial dependence of the erosion coefficient on the Vilyunov parameter obtained on the basis of experimental results in a subsonic and a supersonic flow describes satisfactorily experimental data for a supersonic flow in the examined range of Mach numbers M=1–2.8 as well. A more correct approximation formula for the range of parameters considered is derived. The specific features of the flow along the surface of a solid propellant at M>1 is analyzed, and this analysis has revealed some problems in the interpretation of experimental data.

Remaking and re-using of double based large caliber powders to be used as industrial explosives

Abstract A possibility of remaking of double based large caliber gun powders of various shapes was verified, using laboratory-scale granulation in double phased liquid system. Loose composition was prepared from obtained granulation product by mixing with ammonium nitrate. This mixture actually corresponds to the simplest industrial explosive. Its efficiency, energetic and detonation parameters were tested and obtained results were comparable with usual range of industrial explosives parameters. Energetic parameters of one mixture are also introduced.

DETERMINING THE SERVICE LIVES OF ORGANIC-VAPOR RESPIRATOR CARTRIDGES FOR NITROGLYCERIN UNDER WORKPLACE CONDITIONS

Results of a field study that estimated the service lives of several different brands of organic-vapor respirator cartridges for nitroglycerin are presented. Respirator carbon tubes (RCTs) were used to sample in a workplace where gun powder was manufactured and where nitroglycerin levels varied from approximately 0.1-0.7 mg/m3. Tenax adsorbent tubes were used to monitor for nitroglycerin upstream and downstream of RCTs and were subsequently analyzed by a gas-chromatography method. A series of 10 trials failed to find evidence of nitroglycerin breakthrough. Estimates of the minimum service lives of respirator cartridges varied from 7-81 hours for nitroglycerin levels of 1.0 mg/m3, 10 times the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration Permissible Exposure Level. One trial specifically examined the potential of nitroglycerin to prematurely break through a cartridge due to bed migration, and results failed to indicate this as a potential problem. A field validation of the Tenax adsorbent tube method for nitroglycerin monitoring resulted in an accuracy of +/- 77-88% at the 95% confidence level. An unexpected finding was that up to 10% of the ambient nitroglycerin collected was adsorbed to an aerosol. This finding led to the recommendation that the addition of a prefilter to an organic vapor cartridge may be required when using air-purifying respirators to protect workers from some nitroglycerin exposures.

Determining the Service Lives of Organic-Vapor Respirator Cartridges for Nitroglycerin under Workplace Conditions

Results of a field study that estimated the service lives of several different brands of organic-vapor respirator cartridges for nitroglycerin are presented. Respirator carbon tubes (RCTs) were used to sample in a workplace where gun powder was manufactured and where nitroglycerin levels varied from approximately 0.1–0.7 mg/m3. Tenax® adsorbent tubes were used to monitor for nitroglycerin upstream and downstream of RCTs and were subsequently analyzed by a gas-chromatography method. A series of 10 trials failed to find evidence of nitroglycerin breakthrough. Estimates of the minimum service lives of respirator cartridges varied from 7–81 hours for nitroglycerin levels of 1.0 mg/m3,10 times the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration Permissible Exposure Level. One trial specifically examined the potential of nitroglycerin to prematurely break through a cartridge due to bed migration, and results failed to indicate this as a potential problem. A field validation of the Tenax adsorbent tube method for nitroglycerin monitoring resulted in an accuracy of ±77–88% at the 95% confidence level. An unexpected finding was that up to 10% of the ambient nitroglycerin collected was adsorbed to an aerosol. This finding led to the recommendation that the addition of a prefilter to an organic vapor cartridge may be required when using air-purifying respirators to protect workers from some nitroglycerin exposures.

Probability Estimation for the Self‐Ignition of the Gun Powder

AbstractA theoretical approach to the possibility of estimation of the heat development rate and heat accumulation rate until self‐ignition, is presented. Gun powder was thermally degradated until self‐ignition occures at several different temperatures in the vessels of different sizes. A microcalorimeter of the specific type was constructed for the detection of the thermal effects of the chemical degradation in the vessels of different sizes. T was measured for gun powder and for inert samples. Kinetics was calculated, and the obtained parameters were used for determination of the critical conditions of self‐ignition. In addition, diagrams are given for the time to self‐ignition determination even in the cases when critical conditions have not yet been achieved.

‘Special effects’ burn injuries

Three patients are presented with significant flame burns, resulting from accidents occurring during ‘special effects’ situations in the entertainment industry. These occurred as a result of the spontaneous combustion of various materials, during events in live theatre (gun powder), a television commercial (artificial ‘rocket fuel’), and a video presentation (magnesium oxide).All three patients sustained flash burns to the face and hands. One patient sustained a significant bilateral corneal injury, a gamekeeper's thumb, and a permanent continuous right-sided high frequency tinnitus, in addition to his burn injury. Photographic documentation of all three patients is presented. The total loss of time from work for all patients was 6 months. All these injuries were potentially preventable.

Ignition of heterogeneous systems containing condensed reaction products

The paper generalizes previous theoretical and experimental findings of the authors and colleagues on ignition by means of a radiant flux and combustion wave of compact samples composed of heterogeneous mixtures which yield condensed combustion products. Characteristically, these systems are hard-to-ignite owing to the nature of component interaction (inhibition of the reaction by the layer of an overgrowing product). It is shown experimentally that the systems under study (Ti+C, Zr+C, Ti+B, Nb +B, Ti+1/2N2, Nb+1/2N2, Zr+1/2N2, thermite systems) when ignited by a radiant flow with the thermal flux density of up to 6×106 W/m2 possess the ignition power one to two orders of magnitude higher than mixed and ballistite gun powders, explosives and cellulose materials. The physical pattern of the process development is analyzed for ignition by a combustion wave. Approximate calculation data on the major process characteristics are given (delay time, temperature and powder of ignition, the length of the section burnt in unsteady mode burning time of the non-steady-state section_. Specific features of transition modes due to differences in the thermophysical parameters of the ignitor and ignited system have been elucidated. The limiting ignition modes are discussed. The experimental results for thermite systems are compared with the theoretic analysis data. Recommendations are suggested as to the section of the optimal ignition conditions.

Optimization of delivery of foreign DNA into higher-plant chloroplasts

We report here an efficient and highly reproducible delivery system, using an improved biolistic transformation device, that facilitates transient expression of beta-glucuronidase (GUS) in chloroplasts of cultured tobacco suspension cells. Cultured tobacco cells collected on filter papers were bombarded with tungsten particles coated with pUC118 or pBI101.3 (negative controls), pBI505 (positive nuclear control) or a chloroplast expression vector (pHD203-GUS), and were assayed for GUS activity. No GUS activity was detected in cells bombarded with pUC118 or pBI101.3. Cells bombarded with pBI505 showed high levels of expression with blue color being distributed evenly throughout the whole cytosol of the transformants. pHD203-GUS was expressed exclusively in chloroplasts. We base this conclusion on: i) the procaryotic nature of the promoter used in the chloroplast expression vector; ii) delayed GUS staining; iii) localization of blue color within subcellular compartments corresponding to plastids in both shape and size; and iv) confirmation of organelle-specific expression of pHD203-GUS using PEG-mediated protoplast transformation. Chloroplast transformation efficiencies increased dramatically (about 200-fold) using an improved helium-driven biolistic device, as compared to the more commonly used gun powder charge-driven device. Using GUS as a reporter gene and the improved biolistic device, optimal bombardment conditions were established, consistently producing several hundred transient chloroplast transformants per Petri plate. Chloroplast transformation efficiency was found to be increased further (20-fold) with supplemental osmoticum (0.55 M sorbitol and 0.55 M mannitol) in the bombardment and incubation medium. This system provides a highly effective mechanism for introducing and expressing plasmid DNA within higher-plant chloroplasts, and the fact that GUS functions as an effective marker gene now makes many genetic studies possible which were not possible before.

Comparison of air driven and gun powder driven microprojectiles in gene transfer system

The successful delivery of foreign material into plant tissues using gun powder driven microprojectile-mediated gene transfer system has been reported. In the gun powder driven microprojectile-mediated gene transfer system, the tungsten microprojectiles coated with the foreign genetic material is accelerated by an explosion of gun powder (Fig.1). The main disadvantages of the gun powder driven microprojectile are: variability of the velocity of the spent gas which can cause cell damage and random frequency of transformation, and the build up of unburned gun powder in the apparatus which can causeor create safety problems. An improved microprojectile for use in the genetic engineering ofplants which involves the use of air or gas pressure from a conventional pressurized air or gas supply as the accelerator has been developed. (Fig. 2). A comparison of the air driven and gun powder driven microprojectile is illustrated in electon micrographs of plant tissues bombarded by both methods (Figs. 5-8).

T. J. Rodman: Mid-19th century gun barrel research and design for the U.S. Army

The engineering contributions to heavy military ordnance of Captain (later Lieut.- General) Rodman are summarized from the seven technical reports he published during a 4-year period, 1856–1860, just before the American Civil War (see Fig. 1). His principal original contributions included, the internal or bore cooling of (hollow) cast guns, the introduction of the cutter gauge to measure gun powder pressure, studies of gun life endurance (fatigue) due to repeated firing and the development of prismatic gun powder, among many others. Rodman's name and work is little known among to-day's engineers and scientists (U.S. as well as British) though he may occasionally be recognized in connection with the development of the ‘soda bottle’ shaped gun, which is more usually attributed to Admiral J.H. Dahlgren [1] (see Fig. 2). The objective here is to identify Rodman's significant achievements and to illuminate the background to his contributions, to the development of the ‘soda bottle’ gun and his associated work in engineering science. An appended long Note 3 collects together some remarks about the books that were available for early 19th century engineering students at the Military Academy, West Point, in mechanics and strength of materials.

An automatic system for quality control in ammunition production

Abstract A quality-control system has been developed for all types of cartridges manufactured in the small arms ammunition industry. The level of gun powder, the regularity of the fire hole and the lead (Pb) content in several regions of the bullet are measured. The system is fully automatic and is controlled by two microcontrollers that differentiate between good and defective cartridges. Although the instrument is intended for off-line quality control of fully assembled cartridges, it can be modified to examine the same parameters on line.

Public health aspects of nuclear war.

Although the destructive power of conventional weapons has greatly increased, the advent of the first atomic bombs heralded the introduction of a huge increase in destructive capability, a jump from tons to kilotons, expressed as equivalent weight of TNT (dynamite) . The advent of the hydrogen bomb increased the energy yield by another three orders of magnitude, to megatons of TNT. The total of all explosives used in the Vietnam War is estimated at some four megatons. A single hydrogen bomb can exceed this many-fold, and many of the hydrogen bombs existing in today's arsenals individually exceed the total of all explosives used in wars since the discovery of gun powder . The total nuclear weapons in today's arsenals include more than 12,000 megatons (Mt) of explosives . This amounts to three tons of dynamite for every man, woman, and child on earth! The compactness of nuclear bombs is another important feature. The weight, for example, of the materials needed for a 20-megaton bomb is some ten tons (52) . If the same explosive yield was produced by dynamite, the weight of the dynamite would exceed that of any man-made structure, even the great Pyramid of Cheops (70) . This feature allows the enormous explosive power of a hydrogen bomb, or bombs, to be carried distances of 10,000 kilometers or more by intercontinental missiles, which can now be targeted with great accuracy . Nuclear weapons are qualitatively similar to conventional weapons' blast and thermal effects, although orders of magnitude larger . They differ quali-

Exposure to glyceryl trinitrate during gun powder production: plasma glyceryl trinitrate concentration, elimination kinetics, and discomfort among production workers.

Plasma glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) concentration was studied in 12 volunteers producing gun powder. Serial blood samples were obtained from the cubital vein before and during work at two sites of production; high concentrations of GTN were detected in the plasma. Control specimens from a femoral vein contained much less GTN, indicating that blood in the cubital vein was enriched by dermally absorbed GTN. In the roll mill area concentrations of GTN in the cubital vein were higher than in the press area, but individual factors were also important since some workers consistently had higher concentration of GTN than others. Differences in absorption were more important than differences in the metabolism of GTN since only a small variation in disappearance rate was found after a sublingual test dose of GTN. Moderate changes in pulse rate and blood pressure were noted during the day. The major discomfort experienced was a headache that increased during working hours, but this was not significantly related to GTN concentrations in the air or in the blood from the cubital vein. The observations imply that major efforts should be made to reduce dermal contact with GTN during production work.

Boron-nitride protective coating for tungsten-rhenium thermocouples

This paper describes coating tungsten-rhenium with boron nitride (BN) which provides a thin, protective dielectric layer that eliminates nonthermal effects on the pickup. A diagram shows the apparatus for depositing boron nitride from the gaseous phase, used to coat VR5/20 thermocouples. The starting material for producing BN is borazol B/sub 3/N/sub 3/H/sub 6/. Thermocouples with a boron-nitride coating have been used to study the spontaneous combustion and burning of gun powders, nitro compounds, and pyrotechnic mixtures.

Report of Perforation of the tympanic membrane due to explosion of gun powder

Three high school students, 16 years of age, experienced sudden explosion while experimenting with gun powder. The major damage was burn on their faces and bilateral rupture of the tympanic membranes. The perforations were repaired surgically and conservatively.

Variability in the chemical contamination effects of gun shot

This is a contribution to a larger study aimed at development of a technique to determine the origins of waterfowl from their feather chemistry, using automated X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Since feather samples commonly come from shot birds, an effort was made to measure the contamination effects of shot using cotton cloth to simulate feathers. At pointblank ranges contamination can include the elements Ba, Sb, Pb, Cu, S and likely others depending on the exact composition of both gun powder and shot. At greater ranges (12.5 to 50 yards – 14.4 to 45 m) significant contamination resulting from 12 gauge No. 2 shot came only from lead, with some zinc contamination probable at the extreme range used. Lead contamination increased with increasing range, and apparently has a curvelinear relationship with pellet velocity. This knowledge might permit prediction, after the fact, of ranges from which shot has been fired.

The dangerousness of revolvers cal 4 mm, long (author's transl)

Different models of revolvers (cal 4mm, long), which are obtainable without special permission in Germany, were examinated as to their dangerousness. Both measurements of the kinetic energy of the missiles and investigations on cadavers were performed. Firing of the weapon in its original state yielded kinetic energies of the missiles well below the legal limit of 7,5 Joule. However, even then, fatal injuries of lung and heart could be demonstrated (In one case the os temporale was penetrated). Alteration of the revolver by closing the gas pressure releasing channels with expoxy resin yielded an increase by 45% of the kinetic energy of the missiles. If, in addition, the propelling charge of the ammunition was augmented with some more gun powder the kinetic energy of the missiles rose by 220 %, while such altered ammunition alone caused an increase of 75 %. In every case fatal injuries on head and thorax could be produced. Based on the results of this investigation proposals to amend the existing laws were made.

Franklin’s pointed lightning conductor

OF four letters written to Geneva by Benjamin Franklin, who had been elected to the Fellowship some twenty years earlier (i), three were addressed to Horace Benedict de Saussure (2), who shortly after receipt of the first letter became Rector of the Academy of Geneva. The letter written on 8 October 1772, after tracing the development of lightning conductors in America over a period of twenty years, compared with their less frequent use in England, refers to an application to the Royal Society for ‘Advice how to secure the great Magazines of Gun Powder at Purfleet from Lightning’ and the appointment of a Committee by the Royal Society to report on the action necessary. Although this particular letter appears in the Franklin Papers (XLVI, Part 1, 30: American Philosophical Society), and was reproduced in part by Nathan G. Goodman as recently as 1931 (3), the date of the letter and the name of Franklin’s correspondent were not known at that time. The report of the R.S. Committee was published in the Philosophical Transactions (4) but as the result of divergent opinions in that Committee, of which Franklin was a member, he submitted a separate report based on his experiments showing the effect of pointed conductor rods and the advantage of making them extend as high as possible above buildings