North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[nottke1 <nottke1@earthlink.net>]

Gunpowder is KNO3, sulfur, and charcoal - see  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder

Original black powder was just KNO3 and fine charcoal - blunderbuss stuff.

It is only explosive when finely ground and mixed very thorughly.  When coarsely mixed, as in soaking KNO3 into a stump, it will smolder/burn/smolder/burn, like a very slow sputtering fuse.

Jim Nottke, z7

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Harrison
Sent: Nov 15, 2010 5:31 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Stumped?

Murph,
     I thought that KNO3 WAS explosive also. Isn't it one of the ingredients in Daniel Boone's gunpowder? (Saw the TV show as a kid)
                                                  Regards,
                                                  Richard
I know it is labeled as an oxidizer, at least. I probably have some empty bags left in the barn----from a few years ago. BTW, you can't buy Ammonium Nitrate in a 50 lb bag anymore----thanks to Homeland Security.
People used to soak old stumps with oil or kerosene to burn them out also.

--- On Mon, 11/15/10, Richard MURPHY <murphman108@msn.com> wrote:

From: Richard MURPHY <murphman108@msn.com>
Subject: [NAFEX] Stumped?
To: "nafex" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Monday, November 15, 2010, 4:14 PM

Stump Remover = Potassium Nitrate = KNO3
 
The plan is to impregnate the wood over a period of time so the stump soaks it in.
Then, a fire is built around and on the stump. Ideally, the stump will continue to smolder even after the main fire is out, because...
KNO3 is a common ingredient in most commercial Incense, to provide a continuous burn rate.
KNO3 is not an explosive. It releases oxgen when heated; air or no air.
 
AMMONIUM nitrate is an explosive, all by itself. It will detonate. (Oklahoma Courthouse)

Full of useless info like this
 
Murph


 

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