When was gunpowder made

Gunpowder or black powder is of great historical importance in chemistry. Although it can explode, its principal use is as a propellant.

Gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists in the 9th century. Originally, it was made by mixing elemental sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter potassium nitrate.

The charcoal traditionally came from the willow tree, but grapevine, hazel, elder, laurel, and pine cones have all been used. Charcoal is not the only fuel that can be used. Sugar is used instead in many pyrotechnic applications. When the ingredients were carefully ground together , the end result was a powder that was called "serpentine. People who made gunpowder would sometimes add water, wine, or another liquid to reduce this hazard since a single spark could result in a smoky fire.

Once the serpentine was mixed with a liquid, it could be pushed through a screen to make small pellets, which were then allowed to dry. To summarize, black powder consists of a fuel charcoal or sugar and an oxidizer saltpeter or niter , and sulfur , to allow for a stable reaction.

The carbon from the charcoal plus oxygen forms carbon dioxide and energy. The reaction would be slow, like a wood fire, except for the oxidizing agent. Carbon in a fire must draw oxygen from the air. Saltpeter provides extra oxygen. Potassium nitrate, sulfur, and carbon react together to form nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases and potassium sulfide. The expanding gases, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, provide the propelling action.

Gunpowder tends to produce a lot of smoke , which can impair vision on a battlefield or reduce the visibility of fireworks. Changing the ratio of the ingredients affects the rate at which the gunpowder burns and the amount of smoke that is produced. While black powder and traditional gunpowder may both be used in firearms, the term "black powder" was introduced in the late 19th century in the United States to distinguish newer formulations from traditional gunpowder.

Black powder produces less smoke than the original gunpowder formula. It's worth noting early black powder was actually off-white or tan in color, not black! Pure amorphous carbon is not used in black powder.

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Kallie Szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in Asian history and culture. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Szczepanski, Kallie. The Invention of Gunpowder: A History. The Science Behind Firecrackers and Sparklers. Periods and Dynasties of Ancient China. People's Republic of China Facts and History. Ironically, it was a quest for immortality that led to the invention of the deadliest weapon before the arrival of the atomic bomb.

Experimenting with life-lengthening elixirs around A. Their explosive invention would become the basis for almost every weapon used in war from that point on, from fiery arrows to rifles, cannons and grenades. Gunpowder made warfare all over the world very different, affecting the way battles were fought and borders were drawn throughout the Middle Ages.

Chinese scientists had been playing with saltpeter — a common name for the powerful oxidizing agent potassium nitrate — in medical compounds for centuries when one industrious individual thought to mix it with sulfur and charcoal. The result was a mysterious powder from which, observers remarked in a text dated from the mid-9th century, "smoke and flames result, so that [the scientists'] hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down.

Gunpowder was quickly put to use by the reigning Sung dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country plagued the Chinese throughout the period. The Mongols were the first to be subject to flying fire — an arrow fixed with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and would propel itself across enemy lines.