The Invention of Gunpowder

The Invention of Gunpowder


During 900BC fire pots were thrown down on Troops besieging a town are depicted in Assyrian bas-reliefs in the British Museum which dated around 900BC. Early Writers gave detailed and sometimes lurid accounts of the use of incendiaries. Herodotus describes how arrows tipped with burning tow were used in the capture of Athens in 480BC, and Thucydides tell's how a huge bonfire was lit against the wooden walls of Platea, in 429 BC.


The most authoritative modern view is that gunpowder was first made in China, in the middle of the Ninth Century AD by 'Thang Achemists who were actually looking for the elixir of immortality - one of most remarkable examples of inventing one thing while trying to find something else. The early Chinese literature refers to 'fire chemical' and 'fire drug' but it is not until 1004 that there is any specific mention of the composition of gunpowder and even then no information is given about the proportions in the mixture.


The earliest use of Gunpowder was certainly in fireworks, for which the Chinese have always had a passion, but the possibility of making simple bombs and grenades was realised during the eleventh century. The military implications led the Chinese to place the production of Sulphur and Saltpetre under state control. In 1067 the emperor banned their sale to foreigners. The Chinese army was ready with well overa million men strong and it was necessary to arm it as well as possible to fend off attacks by the Mongols from Central Asia.


No one knows with any certainty how the news of all this remarkable activity in the East reached the Western World, nor why it travelled so slowly.


Roger Bacon revealed the composition of Gunpowder in a treatise entitled 'De secretis operibus artis et naturae et de nullitate magiae' ('On the marvellous power of art and of nature and the nullity of magic').  


The question 'Who Invented Gunpowder' still cannot be answered today with any real certainty.


Brown.I.G (1998) The Big Bang, A History of Explosives: Gloucestershire. Sutton Publishing Limited


I found some great information on Gunpowder, more to come on the Making of it and What it was used in. Adam.

Gunpowder Composition

Composition of Gunpowder.

Saltpetre (Potassium Nitrate - KNO3 75%)

Which forms naturally on the soil surface in hot climates. Imported from India via Venice in Medieval Times. In the second half of the 17th century directly into Britain in larger quantities.

A new method was discovered in the 19th century to create potassium nitrate by using ‘Chile Saltpetre’ (Sodium Nitrate)

Charcoal 15%

Is created by burning wood. Two tons of wood usually produce enough charcoal for one ton of powder.

Sulphur 10%

Imported from sicily. Though it is argued that some was refined from the copperas (iron sulphate, or iron pyrites found in the cliffs at Tankerton.

The research above has been chosen using a fine tooth comb, I found a brilliant book in a second hand book store, only £2.50 about Faversham gunpowder industry. Proved to be a brilliant find.

Percival.J.A (1967) Faversham's Gunpowder Industry, About Faversham No4:Faversham.The Faversham Society.

Adam.

Powerpoint Update

The Powerpoint will be uploaded onto the blog at the latest on wednesday. Have any of you guys found any interesting research ?

Anyway, I've been pretty busy over the weekend and haven't finished the powerpoint yet, it will be finished tomorrow, and probably uploaded tomorrow too.

One person will speak per slide. That means we would all talk twice as there are 10 slides in the powerpoint and 5 of us in the group. It will disperse the talking and would help us all participate in the presentation.

I hope you all know what's going on, Paul and I sorted out the arrangements for the talking last week.

Post on the blog so everyone knows whats going on,

Speak soon Guys..................,

Adam.

Gunpowder Powerpoint

 Hey Guys,

Paul and I had a meeting today and have organised the powerpoint presentation.

The Powerpoint will be split up into 10 slides.

Each person in the group will have a speaking part.

I'll post all the powerpoint information on monday! We will meet up on Monday as well to finalise the powerpoint and to amend any certain parts which won't fit into the presentation. Also the meeting will clarify everyone with their speaking parts.

Hope everyones good, it would of been easier to tell everyone about the powerpoint idea if everyone was together but it's been hard to meet up.

Stay posted! Powerpoint post will be posted on Monday Morning, and then well have a Meeting in the library (time is to be confirmed) to talk about Thursday!

The Time for the meeting will be posted Monday or over the Weekend.

Relevant Information that is to be posted onto the powerpoint will be uploaded onto the blog so you guys can read it and see what you think.

Adam.

Update

Hey guys, It's been hard to meet up in the last few weeks but we need to all meet up after the lecture on Thursday! I have been researching gunpowder, but we all need to know what areas to research otherwise theres not much point posting information onto blogger that people already have. We should sort this out on thursday and have a meeting in the library. Hope thats cool.

See you guys soon, Adam.

Update

Hey guy's when is everyone free to meet up ? We need to meet up as the presentation is upon us!

I found a great book on gunpowder in the library and had a small meeting with karen. We made some questions for are selves, and will meet up on monday in the library to find out what we found.

We have been researching when gunpowder was first invented and came up with an idea that the presentation should be based around: How gunpowder has influenced the world ? it seems to be a strong question to work from, especially with gunpowder, because it dates back to the early 1800's, 19th Century, when it was invented in clay pots, melted down and then solidified. Modernisation changed gunpowder slightly with new mixtures, like TNT, Earthquake Powder, Elephant Brand, Fortis, Carbonite, Kinetite, Dynammon, Pembrite, Fractorite, Electronite - this gives us some idea of the range of invention and rather bewildering array of products that manufacturers were tyring to sell .

Brown.I.G (1998) The Big Bang, A History of Explosives: Gloucestershire. Sutton Publishing Limited

It is used in Mining, Warfare, Entertainment, Films, SFX, Sports, and the Building Trade.

Karen and i have made a mind map on gunpowder in terms of what it is used for.

We came up with some questions to research upon:

How gunpowder has influenced the world ?

What is used instead of gunpowder in the 20th ? even though it is still used in places, but as a whole.

Different Explosive Mixtures ?

Hope you guys have found some stuff on gunpowder as well, hopefully we can meet up next week.

I will be free after 12 on monday, all day wed, and fri. Meet up soon guys. Adam.

Welcome to all

The blog is ready, you can now start posting. I will post a date where we can all meet to organize ourselves.

Paul