[cuso4 (OP)]

I came across a piece of information that says gunpowder are made of charcoal, sulphur and salpeter. What is salpeter anyway?

Angel

"The people who will succeed are those who see the invisible and do the impossible."

[Ylide]

Potassium nitrate.

Supposedly it was also used in prisons and boy's schools to prevent erections, but I'm not sure how much of that is urban legend.

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[chris]

Where does saltpeter come from naturally ? I read a beatiful piece the other day that said that one way to make it is to add potassium carbonate solution (potash) to a compost heap / dung heap and collect the filtrate.

The argument goes that calcium in the heap sequesters the carbonate as limestone (CaCO3) whilst the soluble nitrates leach out as KNO3 and can be collected and crystallised.

Clearly this isn't how the chinese did it - so where did they get their saltpeter ?

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[Ylide]

The only natural source of potassium nitrate I've ever heard of is collected from bat guano, but that's not to say it's the only source.  



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[Ylide]

Come to think of it, digestion of nitrogenous material (i.e. proteins) could very well lead to production of nitrates in the excretory system...so I'm betting the Chinese got it from some sort of excrement, be it bat or what-have-you.



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[bezoar]

So what in the world ever possessed the Chinese to collect filtrate from a dung heap and feed to to people to prevent erections?  And you think the Americans have problems?

[Ylide]

I'm not sure if you're kidding.  

I believe Chris was referring to the Chinese using it to make gunpowder.  (they invented it and all)

Looking at China's population, I'm almost positive they have no chemical-induced erection problems.



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[cuso4 (OP)]

quote:Originally posted by chris


Clearly this isn't how the chinese did it - so where did they get their saltpeter ?

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

....From pig's manure.

Angel

"The people who will succeed are those who see the invisible and do the impossible."

[bezoar]

Sounds like a scat society to me.  I'd have to agree, they don't seem to have any problems with erections, saltpeter notwithstanding.

[Quantumcat]

Why do you say that, bezoar?

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!

[Ylide]

MAybe because there is an awful lot of them?

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[Q and A]

Salt peter is commonly used in livestock to control breeding. It does appear to work in humans too. A little experiment was done with this to a couple of friends.[]


Q+A=Knowledge^2

[bezoar]

Yep, there are plenty of Chinese, but why in the world did they start digging around in feces to figure out what they could make out of it?  Maybe, what with so many of them, it was an abundant natural resource, but you have to kind of wonder what made them think of that in the first place.  I always wondered what attracted some docs to proctology.  Seems strange to me.

[etews2]

I just visited the Brandywine valley of Delaware where cuPont built the first quality gunpowder factory in the US in 1802.  Saltpeter was imported as a crude salt from India.  duPont purified the salt by dissolving in water, skimming off the crud, and crystalizing the solution to dryness.  Alternate sources are biological action on manure, "night soil" (as in human), with wood ashes added to the mix and the liquids draining captured and purified.  in fact, the southern ladies were proud to add their part to the manufacture of saltpeter (postassium nitrate) during the American war between the states when imports from India were embargoed.

[gsmollin]

"...the war between the states..." Must be a southerner.

[tweener]

quote:Originally posted by gsmollin

"...the war between the states..." Must be a southerner.

Any you must be a d---yankee. []

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.

[OmnipotentOne]

I heard it was used in millitary training camps for teenagers, not possitive about that, but what i am sure of is that when combined with sugar makes one heck of a smoke bomb!!

[pyromaster222]

it does not make a bomb when combined with sugar but this micture is often used as a rocket propellant.

[daveshorts]

There was also a process which somehow involved oxidising the urea in urine to saltpeter. I am not sure of the exact process but it happens naturally in animal sheds as you can sometimes see the phosphorescent glow from the saltpeter in old animal sheds.

I belive that at one point there was alaw that said you had to collect all the urine made in your house and give it to special urine collectors who would then make saltpeter with it.

[pyromaster222]

yes its something like mixing urine with decomposing matter and then leaving it for a long time then filtering. You should then theoretically get potassium nitrate. Thats how potassium nitrate was synthesised back in the day.I sure wouldnt like to be a saltpetre boy.