What is black powder?

Black powder is a type of gunpowder invented in the 9th century and was practically the only known propellant and explosive until the middle of the 19th century. It has been superseded by more efficient explosives such as smokeless powders and TNT. It is still manufactured today but primarily for use in fireworks, model rocket engines, and reproductions of muzzleloading weapons


Black powder consists of the granular ingredients sulphur (S), charcoal (provides carbon to the reaction) and saltpetre (saltpetre, potassium nitrate, KNO3; provides oxygen to the reaction).





A simple, commonly cited, chemical equation for the combustion of black powder is:





2 KNO3 + S + 3C 鈫?K2S + N2 + 3CO2


A more accurate, but still simplified[1], equation is





10 KNO3 + 3S + 8C 鈫?2K2CO3 + 3K2SO4 + 6 CO2 + 5N2


The optimum proportions for gunpowder are: 74.64% saltpetre, 13.51% charcoal, and 11.85% sulfur (by mass). The current standard for black powder manufactured by pyrotechnicians today is 75% potassium nitrate, 15% softwood charcoal and 10% sulfur.What is black powder?
A very explosive smoke gun powder that doesn't burn as quickly as modern smokeless powder.What is black powder?
Gunpowder. the untainted form of it.
A mixture of charcoal, sulpher and salt peter.
an explosive consisting of a compound of potassium nitrate, sulfur and charcoal





Black Powder is the mainstay of Pyrotechnics. At a basic level it is the mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulphur. However, simply mixing these ingredients together will not produce proper black powder. It merely produces a much milder version, which itself is used extensively in pyrotechnics, and is commonly called meal powder. ...





Black powder is a type of gunpowder invented in the 9th century and was practically the only known propellant and explosive until the middle of the 19th century. It has been superseded by more efficient explosives such as smokeless powders and TNT. It is still manufactured today but primarily for use in fireworks, model rocket engines, and reproductions of muzzleloading weapons