The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives - Sciencemadness Dot Org

CHAPTER IX
PRIMARY EXPLOSIVES, DETONATORS, AND
PRIMERS
Primary explosives explode from shock, from friction, and from
heat. They are used in primers where it is desired by means of
shock or friction to produce fire for the ignition of powder, and
they arc used in detonators where it is desired to produce shock
for the initiation of the explosion of high explosives. They are
alsu used in toy caps, toy torpedoes, and similar devices for the
making of noise. Indeed, certain primary explosives were used
for this latter purpose long before the history of modern high
explosives had yet commenced.
Discovery of Fulminating Compounds
Fulminating gold, silver, and platinum (Latin, fuhnen, lightning
flash, thunderbolt) arc formed by precipitating solutions of
these metals with ammonia. They are perhaps nitrides or hydrated
nitrides, or perhaps they contain hydrogen as well as
nitrogen and water of composition, but they contain no carbon
and must not be confused with the fulminates which are salts of
fulminic acid, HONC. They are dangerously sensitive, and are
not suited to practical use.
Fulminating gold is described in the writings of the pseudonymous
Basil Valentine, 1 probably written by Johann Tholde (or
Tholdcn) of Hesse and actually published by him during the
years 1602-1604. The author called it Goldkalck, and prepared
it by dissolving gold in an aqua regia made by dissolving sal
ammoniac in nitric acid, and then precipitating by the addition
of potassium carbonate solution. The powder was washed by
decantation 8 to 12 times, drained from water, and dried in the
air where no sunlight fell on it, "and not by any means over the
1 We find the description on page 289 of the second part of the third
German edition of the collected writings of Basil Valentine, Hamburg, 1700.
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