Who Invented Gunpowder?

Gunpowder was perhaps the greatest advance in the area of warfare in the world when it was discovered. Gunpowder is used in a variety of ways from entertaining fireworks to the creation of explosives used for construction or warfare.

Gunpowder is very useful and has been around for almost two millennia.  The first recorded reaction of a substance that would become known as gunpowder traces back to sometime around 142 AD in China.

By 300 AD, the formula had been widely published and the description of the explosive results widely publicized. Further developments continued and by 700 AD, the Chinese Emperor was fond of creating fireworks displays for his guests.

How Gunpowder Works

An explosive reaction is cause by the rapid expansion of gases in a confined space. Typical explosives are very small compared to the volume of gas produced by the combustion reaction of the explosive compound. When the gases are released in the reaction and expand into a confined space, the pressure rises rapidly. Once the pressure reaches the level that will cause the container to fail, the resulting release of the gases is seen as an explosion.

The Origins of Gunpowder

Originally, gunpowder was made by mixing powdered sulfur, powdered charcoal and a powdered nitrate compound like potassium nitrate. When mixed in the proper ratios, the resulting powder will explode when supplied with an ignition source.

The first mixtures of gunpowder had less explosive potential than the powders developed over the centuries. For the full explosive power of gunpowder, the ratio of nitrate must be at least 75 percent.

Gunpowder as a Weapon of War

By 900 AD, scientists developed the use of gunpowder as an offensive warfare agent. The first applications involved placing a large quantity of gunpowder into the bottom of a piece of bamboo. The bamboo was then loaded with rocks or other instruments designed to harm the enemy.

The gunpowder was then ignited and the rocks and other implements that were contained in the bamboo were projected out of the open end of the bamboo.

Advancements in the field of warfare later applied gunpowder to the use of missiles and cannons. By placing gunpowder in the bottom of a bronze tube and then loading a cannonball in on top of the gunpowder, the cannonball can be sent into the enemy lines. 

The concept of gunpowder was carried into Europe and the Islamic world in the 11th and 12th century by merchantmen. During the time of the third crusade, a British monk developed ideas for the use of gunpowder as an instrument of war. His drawings and designs of cannons were independent of the developments occurring in China.

Uses of Gunpowder

The oldest gun found by archeologists, dates to about 1200 AD and was discovered in Manchuria. Europeans had developed hand cannons within a hundred years of that date.

The uses of gunpowder or black powder as it was later called, include things such as rocket propulsion, signal flares and special effects. One major disadvantage of gunpowder is that it is hygroscopic (picks up water from the air) and the waste products tend to be caustic. Many grades of gunpowder have been developed that are assigned numerical values related to the size of the gunpowder particles. The smaller the grain size, the less smoke is released during the burning of the gunpowder.

Measuring Gunpowder

When working with older gunpowders, the amount of gunpowder required for a cannon blast or a gun shot was measured by volume rather than by weight, and thus there was little to no chance of damage due to overpressure of the barrel or chamber.

The newer smokeless gunpowder requires careful measurement of the amount for each shot. The amount of gunpowder needed for each shot is determined by weight rather than by volume.

The former method of measuring gunpowder for a shot worked well for single shot rifles such as a blunderbuss or flintlock rifles, but for repeating weapons like revolvers or carbine rifles the shells needed to be made in a uniform manner with a precise amount of powder in each shell.

Disagreement on Invention

Is there any disagreement among experts as to who invented gunpowder? Some experts who take a more rigid look at the types of gunpowder that are available today claim that Europeans invented the predecessor to our current types of gunpowder. This view, however, does not stand up well against examination, for without the initial invention of the Chinese there would have been nothing to improve upon.