We mentioned, in the article on gunpowder, that quicklime had the effect of increasing its strength. It has been suggested, to employ quicklime, for this purpose, when gunpowder is used in mining.
Bottée and Riffault (Traité de l'art de Fabriquer la Poudre à canon, p. 301) have given the result of some experiments on this subject, which we purpose to notice. These experiments, however, are not satisfactory on this head.
Dr. Baine, a physician of Foxano, in Tuscany, was the first who announced the fact, that quicklime would increase the explosive effect of gunpowder. The increase he states to be one-third. The proportions are, twenty-three grammes of quicklime, and one kilogramme of powder.[41] The quicklime is powdered, and mixed with the gunpowder.
Various experiments were made, with the eprouvette of Regnier, which did not establish the truth of Dr. Baine's assertion. The Tuscan hunters use gunpowder mixed with lime.
The experiments were made by M. L. Maitre and colonel Charbonel. They employed pure dry powder, dry powder mixed with quicklime, moist powder pure, and moist powder mixed with lime. The object of these experiments was to ascertain, if the presence of quicklime added to the force of powder; either as a fourth component part and acting chemically, or by absorbing the moisture which the powder contains.
The charge of each was three ounces.
The result of the experiments is thus given:
| Powder, dry and pure, | 738 | feet | 2 | inches. |
| Powder, dry, and mixed with quicklime, | 690 | — | 1 | — |
| —— | —— | |||
| Difference in favor of dry powder, | 48 | 1 | ||
| Powder, moist and pure, | 714 | feet | 1 | inch. |
| Powder, moist, and mixed with quicklime, | 642 | — | 2 | — |
| —— | —— | |||
| Difference in favor of moist powder, | 71 | 11 |
It has been asserted, that the force of gunpowder is increased by water, alcohol, and ether, in consequence of the great expansibility of these fluids; but, according to the experiments of Bottée and Riffault, the range of the ball was much less when the three fluids were used successively, than when the dry and pure gunpowder alone was employed. We are informed by a gentleman, who saw the experiment made, that when gunpowder is mixed with an equal weight of fine saw dust, and fired, it will give the same range to a ball as the same weight of unmixed powder.