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  1. #1
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    Although the sulfuric acid is a product of the sulfer, oxygen and water, do we have sufficient heat/energy to push the chemical reaction to the right? If not, the sulfer dust will have no additional effect over regular dust... That might also explain a lack of acid eating through the wool due to black powder??? Just tossing out ideas...

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spartan Tartan View Post
    Although the sulfuric acid is a product of the sulfer, oxygen and water, do we have sufficient heat/energy to push the chemical reaction to the right?
    The reaction that occurs upon firing a black powder weapon (or any combustion, for that matter) is an exothermic oxidation, or burning, reaction. Lots of heat involved. So, yes. The addition of the spark from the striking of the flint (or whatever method is used to ignite the powder) provides the "sufficient heat/energy" to push the chemical reaction to the right.

    That said, there's usually a bit of powder that doesn't fully ignite. So the residue from firing black powder will usually be from both sides of the equation.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spartan Tartan View Post
    Although the sulfuric acid is a product of the sulfer, oxygen and water, do we have sufficient heat/energy to push the chemical reaction to the right? If not, the sulfer dust will have no additional effect over regular dust... That might also explain a lack of acid eating through the wool due to black powder??? Just tossing out ideas...
    Excellent point! As I got to thinking about this (a dangerous thing for me to do), I began to wonder why/if black powder resulted in the production of H2SO4 (or any other form of sulfur acid) because the main ingredients of it are potassium nitrate (saltpeter) and charcoal. The sulfur was/is only used to lower the temperature necessary to "spark" the reaction (by increased pressure by a cap or heat spark from a flint). Non-sulfur black powder and "pressure cap firing" was known well within the time-frame of the relevant kilted regiments. The chemical reaction for black powder containing sulfur is:

    4KNO3 + C7H4O + 2S => 2K2S +4CO2 + 3CO + 2H2O + 2N2.

    Note that there is no production (at least not directly) of any acid of sulfur here. Also, all the "products" are gasses. If kilts were being messed up in some way, it would seem to have to come either from charcoal or perhaps the potassium nitrate (saltpeter) or just raw sulfur rather than any chemical reaction stemming from them to produce sulfuric acid? If acid is bad for wool kilts (and it might not be -- see Pleater's post above), then kilts may have more to fear from acid rain (see my earlier post) than black powder. My guess is (and it is basically worthless) that spilling a bunch of charcoal powder and potassium nitrate on your kilt will mess it up (require cleaning) as much or more than anything that might be the result of a chemical reaction involving sulfur.
    Last edited by O'Searcaigh; 10th April 13 at 10:03 AM.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by O'Searcaigh View Post
    4KNO3 + C7H4O + 2S => 2K2S +4CO2 + 3CO + 2H2O + 2N2
    Dang. I was a Voc-Tech student. Never took chemistry. All I know is that H2O is water, and K9P comes from the south end of a dog.
    KEN CORMACK
    Clan Buchanan
    U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
    Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, USA

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by unixken View Post
    Dang. I was a Voc-Tech student. Never took chemistry. All I know is that H2O is water, and K9P comes from the south end of a dog.
    Sorry for the chemical goblty goop -- (I can't read -- even pronounce the Gaelic I often see on XMarks, ' wised I could) - Of course, all those letters in "Chemistry" (not nearly as confusing as Gaelic) just mean: "put saltpeter together with charcoal and a little sulfur, light it up (or put it under pressure) and BAM! -- you get potassium sulfide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water and nitrogen --- all gasses!! (no sulfuric acids). Oh yes, for more "formulas" there is of course also R2D2 and C3PO -- which I would not recommend trying to put together as "chemicals" but make really nice robots !!! K9P Love it (the joke, not so much the "chemical" that comes out of my dog, especially in the house on the floor!

  6. #6
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    I have been a historic weapons supervisor for 5 years with the National Park Service. I am in charge of two six pound cannons and one 12 pounder along with several flintlock and percussion muskets. We are required to wear wool and cotton because modern material melts to the skin when it gets burned. Many of our uniforms are 20 years old. The civil war uniform I wear I have personally owned for 8 years. As bad as it sounds I have not dry cleaned it because I want it to look like I am on campaign not just issued from the quarter master. Only have brushed it clean and rinsed off mud with water. This same uniform I wear when cleaning the cannons. All of our uniforms are still soft. Light seems to do more damage to the wool than shooting black powder cannons.

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