74. Black Powder / National Mining Museum, Leadville, Colorado

Another exhibit from the National Mining Museum at Leadville, Colorado, has a simple description and explanation of black powder.   In the early gold mining efforts in Colorado, black powder was used to blast into rock crevices, dislodging the material, allowing it to be removed and processed (from which gold, if it were present, would be extracted).   The words below are taken exactly as they are displayed in the museum.  

"Black Powder"

"The term black powder was first used in the late 19th century to help distinguish between the different types of powders, e.g., gunpowder, semi smokeless powder, etc.   It was used in mines by igniting it in drill holes and cracks in rocks.

Black powder is a mixture of three components: 

1.  Potassium Nitrate:  other names include Salt Peter or Nitre
2.  Sulphur:  a bright yellow crystalline solid
3.  Charcoal:  a black substance made from burnt wood that has been deprived of oxygen and leaves an impure carbon residue

"Potassium Nitrate and Charcoal create a minor explosion, but when mixed with sulphur, the explosion is much stronger.

"Mixing all three components together form a group of gases:  carbon dioxide, nitrogen (both colorless and odorless) and potassium sulphide (a compound that reacts rapidly with water).

How it works

"When the three components are mixed together and ignited, the gases form a heat.   This heat forces the gases to expand causing an explosive force."