Forc106 - Module 8 New

A Strong Partner for Sustainable Development
Module
In
FORC106
Forensic Ballistics

College of Criminal Justice Education
BS Criminology

2
Module No. 8
Propellant (Gun Powder)
1st Semester AY 2022-2023
Hilda B. Espadilla
Assistant Professor II
WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

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Table of Contents
Contents Page
TITLE PAGE ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1
TABLE OF CONTENTS --------------------------------------------------------- 3
INSTRUCTION TO THE USER ----------------------------------------------- 4
CHAPTER 8 – Propellant (Gunpowder)
Lesson 1 – Definition of Gunpowder -------------------------------
Lesson 2 – History of the Development of Gunpowder -------
Lesson 3 – Kinds of gunpowder

3.1.1. Black powder --------------------------------------
3.1.2. Smokeless powder -------------------------------

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INSTRUCTION TO THE USER
This module would provide you an educational experience while

independently accomplishing the task at your own pace or time. It aims as
well to ensure that learning is unhampered by health and other challenges. It
covers the topic about ____________________________________.
Reminders in using this module:
1. Keep this material neat and intact.

2. Answer the pretest first to measure what you know and what to be
learned about the topic discussed in this module.
3. Accomplish the activities and exercises as aids and reinforcement for
better understanding of the lessons.
4. Answer the post-test to evaluate your learning.
5. Do not take pictures in any parts of this module nor post it to social
media platforms.
6. Value this module for your own learning by heartily and honestly
answering and doing the exercises and activities. Time and effort were
spent in the preparation in order that learning will still continue
amidst this Covid-19 pandemic.
7. Observe health protocols: wear mask, sanitize and maintain physical
distancing.
Hi! I’m Blue Bee, your WPU Mascot.
Welcome to Western Philippines University!

Shape your dreams with quality learning
experience.
STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY!

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Introduction
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from

modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a
mixture of sulfur, carbon, and potassium nitrate. The sulfur and carbon act as fuels
while the saltpeter is an oxidizer.
CHAPTER 8
PROPELLANT (GUNPOWDER)
LESSON
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, you can:

1. Understand the definition, of gunpowder;
2. Understand the definition and classification of explosives; and
3. answer the given exercises in the lesson.
Time Allotment: 2 hours
Discussion:
Propellant (Gunpowder)
Definition
Gunpowder (also called propellant or Power Charge) is a mixture of

chemicals of various compositions designed to propel the projectile by means of its
expansive force of gas when bummed.
The Development of Gun Powder
If there are much of literary works on firearm identification, the History of

Gunpowder is the most controversial of all topics incorporated in their field of study.
Powders and explosives are at most times credited to the Chinese and the Arabs; they
have had a pyrotechnic composition of sorts --fireworks long before anything of the
kind was known in Europe, but there is no warrant for considering that they had
invented guns and gun powder. On the other hand, according to Prof. J.K.
Partington, a British Chemist, at about 1000 A.D., the Chinese knew about saltpeter-
based gunpowder.
The question of where it was discovered, who first used it for guns, and who
invented it is still a mystery. Maybe this is caused by a lack of proof beyond doubt as
to the claim of various writers as to who invented the gunpowder and realized its
capabilities. Two of the most popular individual whose name is always attached to
gunpowder discovery were Roger Bacon and Berthold Schwarz. Let’s take a short
description of how their names are always mentioned in history.

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Roger Bacon, (1242 A.D.) a Franciscan monk, wrote the ---" De Mirabili
Potestate Artis et Naturae” (On the Marvelous Power of Art and Nature), including
an anagram. This anagram was only re-arranged and properly punctuated by a
British Artillery Officer named Colonel Hime, and it read —" but of saltpeter taken
seven-part, five of young hazel twig and five of sulfur, and so they wilt call up
thunder and destruction of thou know the art’. This is practically a working
gunpowder formula.
Bacon did not make any claim of its discovery but suggested that by 1266 the
gunpowder was already common knowledge and he was merely reporting it as a fact.
Maybe another reason why he never made any claim is due to the prohibition
existing during his time that no form of an article involving explosives should be
made. If he was to directly print the same it might even cost him his life.
Berthold Schwartz(whose real name was Constantin Anklitzen), a

mysterious monk of Freiburg, who according to. The legend is supported by an
engraving dated 1643, while experimenting on some powder in a cast iron vessel he
ignited a charge and thus view off the lid, and from this deduced the principle of
containing a charge in a tube and propelling a shot (Encyclopedia of ammunition).
The engraver dated the scene 1380, and it was evident that well before that date,
cannons were already in use.
Another person in the year 1325 A.D. wrote his own literary work entitled
“De Offices Regnum’, which illustrated the firing of a cannon. There is no
explanation of the picture but it is clearly shown a bulbous tube, with an arrow
protruding from the muzzle, being ignited by a man with a hot iron.
Explosives
Definition
An explosive is any substance that may cause an explosion by its sudden

decomposition or combustion. It is material either a pure single substance or a
mixture of substances which is capable of producing an explosion by its energy.
Classification of Explosives
1. Propellants or low explosives= burns but do not explode and function by

producing gas that produces an explosion. E.g. black powder and smokeless
powder.
2. Primary explosive or initiators = explodes or detonate when they are heated or

subjected to shock. They do not burn; sometimes they do not even contain the
elements necessary for combustion. The material themselves explodes, and
the explosion results whether they are confined or not e.g. mercury fulminate,
lead oxide, lead salts, or picric acid.
3. High explosives = detonate under the influence of the shock of the explosion
of a primary explosive. They do not function by burning; in fact, not all of
them are combustible, but most of them can be ignited by a flame and in a

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small amount generally burn tranquility and can extinguish easily e.g TNT,
dynamite, nitroglycerine, picric acid.
Other forms of Explosives
Nitroglycerine (NG)= a high explosive substance widely used in industrial

explosives. It has been the main component of many dynamites. It is an oily liquid
made of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and glycerine.
Trinitrotoluene (TNT) = is the most widely used explosive usually used in

military explosives.
RDX = also. called hexogen or cyclonite o, cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine. It

is the most important military explosive used today.
Nitrocellulose (NC) = or cellulose nitrate or nitro-cotton, is the nitrate ester

of cellulose that serves as the main ingredient of many smokeless powders.
Bomb = is poorly defined as a hollow projectile of iron generally spherical,

containing an explosive material that is fired by the concussion of by time fuse.
Modern bombs are no longer constructed on the such pattern.
The Black Powder
Black Powder - the oldest known explosive, was initially made from
saltpeter (75%), charcoal (15%), and sulfur (10%). This formula varies in percentage
and even in composition in different countries throughout the world. This mixture is
ground into fine dust, called “Serpentine” which was said to have been used until the
middle of the 16" century. After such form, a “corned powder was used to replace
serpentine, for being more stable. But due to its high sensitivity leading to accidents
modifications had been made to develop other forms. Some used potassium nitrate
while others used sodium nitrate. But whatever forms or composition of black
powders there is generally a great disadvantage of this powder. (T creates a dark
smoke and causes fouling. This creates a problem not only for the gunner but also for
the gun itself.
These problems in the use of black powder were later remedied with the
introduction of smokeless powder. According to Harrison, Captain E. Schultze of the
Prussian Army made the 1st successful use of smokeless powder in the shotgun in the
year 1864.
Although historically nitroglycerine compound was first discovered in 1846.

The basic ingredient used for smokeless powder is nitrocellulose which was first
produced by adding nitric acid to cellulose fiber.
Later, M. Vieille of French developed the first smokeless powder for riffle in
the year 1884 and named it “Poudre B” taken after Gen. Boulanger’s name.
In 1887, Alfred Nobel invented a smokeless powder with nitroglycerine

(40% and nitrocellulose (60%) as the main composition

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and called it “Ballistite”’. In Great Britain, they utilized picric acid in addition to
cellulose powder which they called ‘Lyddite’ while in Germany TNT (Tri-
nitrololeune) was used. The latter is more powerful than picric acid but much more
difficult to detonate. Also In the year 1889, Prof. Abel, a British War dept. Chemists
developed “Cordite” a smokeless powder with the same composition as Nobel in the
form of cords or sticks. And in the early 1890s smokeless powder had replaced black
powder and became uniformly used worldwide by the year 1900.
Figure 47. Gun Powders (Propellants)
Activity
Learning Check
I. Briefly discuss the History of gunpowder.

II. What are the kinds of gunpowder? Describe them briefly.
Reference:
Manlusoc, A. C. (2016). Forensic Ballistics. Wiseman’s Books Trading, Inc.

De Guzman, R.D., & Villacarlos M.B. (2017). Fundamentals of Forensic Firearms
Identification, 2nd Edition. Chapter House Publishing Incorporated.
Duyogan, Z. A. (2011). Forensic Ballistics, Guide for Criminal Lawyers, Police
Officers, Students and Reviewees, First Edition. Wiseman’s Books Trading, Inc.
Congratulations for completing this module!

9
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development of West Philippines and beyond.
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development
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research and extension services.
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A Strong Partner for Sustainable Development

Propellant (Gun Powder)

1st Semester AY 2022-2023

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

TITLE PAGE ---------------------------------------------------------------------

TABLE OF CONTENTS --------------------------------------------------------- 3

INSTRUCTION TO THE USER ----------------------------------------------- 4

CHAPTER 8 – Propellant (Gunpowder)

Lesson 1 – Definition of Gunpowder -------------------------------

Lesson 2 – History of the Development of Gunpowder -------

Lesson 3 – Kinds of gunpowder

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

INSTRUCTION TO THE USER

This module would provide you an educational experience while

Reminders in using this module:

1. Keep this material neat and intact.

Hi! I’m Blue Bee, your WPU Mascot.

Welcome to Western Philippines University!

STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY!

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from

At the end of the lesson, you can:

Time Allotment: 2 hours

Gunpowder (also called propellant or Power Charge) is a mixture of

The Development of Gun Powder

If there are much of literary works on firearm identification, the History of

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

Berthold Schwartz(whose real name was Constantin Anklitzen), a

An explosive is any substance that may cause an explosion by its sudden

1. Propellants or low explosives= burns but do not explode and function by

2. Primary explosive or initiators = explodes or detonate when they are heated or

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

Other forms of Explosives

Nitroglycerine (NG)= a high explosive substance widely used in industrial

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) = is the most widely used explosive usually used in

RDX = also. called hexogen or cyclonite o, cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine. It

Nitrocellulose (NC) = or cellulose nitrate or nitro-cotton, is the nitrate ester

Bomb = is poorly defined as a hollow projectile of iron generally spherical,

The Black Powder

Although historically nitroglycerine compound was first discovered in 1846.

In 1887, Alfred Nobel invented a smokeless powder with nitroglycerine

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

Figure 47. Gun Powders (Propellants)

I. Briefly discuss the History of gunpowder.

Manlusoc, A. C. (2016). Forensic Ballistics. Wiseman’s Books Trading, Inc.

Congratulations for completing this module!

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

Core Values (3CT)

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

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