Wool and Black Powder Smoke

[O'Searcaigh]

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.