CHEMICAL REACTION OF GUN POWDER

 

Gun Powder Chemical Reaction

Hi guys thanks for tuning here! Let us see the chemical reaction of the gun powder.

Gun powder is known as black powder, chemical mixture used as a propellent. The gun powder is combination of three major types of chemicals in powder form.

That is,

6KNO3 + 2C + 3S = 3K2CO3 + 2K2SO4 + 6N2 + 5H2

6KNO3 – Potassium Sulphate

2C – Carbon

3S – Sulfur

3K2CO3 – Potassium Carbonate

2K2SO4 – Potassium Sulphate

6N2 – Nitrogen gas

5H2O – Water Vapor

Percentage of Chemicals in gun powders:

75% – Potassium Nitrate.

15% – Charcoal

10% – Sulfur

 

Ø  Potassium Nitrate: Primary oxidizing agent in gun powder, and provides oxygen needed for combustion.

Ø  Carbon: Carbon serves as the fuel in gun powder, during reaction it reacts with oxygen from potassium nitrate to produce carbon di oxide.

Ø  Sulphur: Sulphur is used to increase the burn rate and efficiency of the gun powder; in reaction it reacts with potassium nitrate and form K2SO4 during combustion.

Ø  The spark produced by the primer reacts with the potassium nitrate and it will decompose, and releases the oxygen. The released oxygen reacts with carbon and sulfur to produce various hot gases, including nitrogen gas and water vapor. The gas generates large value of hot, expanding gas, creating the pressure needed to propel the projectile.