Can you make gunpowder from corpses?

Gunpowder requires potassium nitrate and charcoal. Charcoal is fine to make from corpses (bone charcoal is good charcoal) but potassium nitrate is trickier.

How did they originally make gunpowder?

Gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists in the 9th century. Originally, it was made by mixing elemental sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate). People who made gunpowder would sometimes add water, wine, or another liquid to reduce this hazard since a single spark could result in a smoky fire.

Is saltpeter made from urine?

Urine in particular is the key to producing saltpetre because it provides the ammonia which oxygen and bacteria turn into nitrates – a mix of magnesium, calcium and potassium, the former two you don’t want as they’re very hygroscopic so your powder will get wet very easily.

Is urine used in gunpowder?

But the main ingredient–potassium nitrate, also called saltpeter–was only synthesized on a large-scale in the early 20th century. Prior to that, makers of gunpowder took advantage of the nitrogen naturally found in pee to make the key ingredient for ballistic firepower.

How was black powder made?

Black powder consists of a fuel (charcoal), an oxidizer (saltpeter or niter), and a stabilizer (sulfur) to allow for a constant reaction. The reaction would be slow, like a wood fire, if not for the oxidizing agent. Carbon in a fire must draw oxygen from the air, but the saltpeter in gunpowder provides the oxygen.

Who makes gun powder?

There are perhaps from fifty to one hundred gunpowder mills in the United States. The principal companies are Du PONT’s, in Delaware; HAZZARD’s, at Enfield, Conn.; LAFLIN, SMITH & BOIES, at Saugerties; the Oriental Gunpowder Company, of Boston, and the Schaghticoke Gunpowder Company, at Schaghticoke.

How did the invention of gunpowder come about?

The invention of gunpowder came about by accident. And it’s not the only thing we use today which has had the same curious beginning. Chocolate chip cookies, penicillin, the microwave — inventions which have had huge impacts on the world were discovered by accident, when the people who created them were trying to achieve something very different.

How did gunpowder contribute to the rise of the western empires?

The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal dynasties established control over Turkey, Iran, and India respectively, in large part due to a Chinese invention: gunpowder . In large part, the successes of the western empires depended on advanced firearms and cannons.

What is the chemical composition of gunpowder?

It consists of potassium nitrate (75\% by weight), charcoal (15\% by weight), and sulfur (10\% by weight). Each of these components plays an important role in the combustion of gunpowder. Potassium nitrate, also known as ‘saltpetre’, or ‘saltpeter’, decomposes at high temperature to provide oxygen for the reaction.

How do the powder-priests make gunpowder?

The Priests sell the powder to all factions in the world believing that they will be the cause of their own destruction, the other factions take the powder not caring either way. The idea is that the Powder-Priests have these powder fields filled with bodies, so that they can make gunpowder.