Poudre B was the first practical smokeless gunpowder created in 1884. It was perfected between 1882 and 1884 at “Laboratoire Central des Poudres et Salpêtres” in Paris, France. Originally called “Poudre V” from the name of the inventor, Paul Vieille, it was arbitrarily renamed “Poudre B” (short for poudre blanche—white powder, as distinguished from black powder) to distract German espionage. “Poudre B” is made from 68.2% insoluble nitrocellulose, 29.8% soluble nitrocellulose gelatinized with ether and 2% paraffin. “Poudre B” is made up of very small paper-thin flakes that are not white but dark greenish grey in colour. “Poudre B” was first used to load the 8mm Lebel cartridges issued in 1886 for the Lebel rifle.
Related
Steam shovel
invented by William Otis
A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting…
Zinc-carbon battery
invented by Carl Gassner
A zinc–carbon battery is a dry cell primary battery that provides direct…
Stainless steel
invented by J. Clark J.E.T. Woods
Stainless steel 276 is a group of ferrous alloys that contain a minimum of…
Dandy horse
invented by Karl Von Drais
The dandy horse, a derogatory term for what was first called a Laufmaschine (in…
Suggest an invention you think it should be here
About
Inventions that changed the world
Leave a Reply