ABSTRACT
BLACK POWDER GRANULES: (Chapter 1 opening page) Black powder granules are the first commercial energetic material, and have remained an article of commerce for over one thousand years. This unique blend of potassium nitrate (saltpeter), charcoal, and sulfur (brimstone) has served as an explosive, a propellant, and a component in pyrotechnic devices such as safety fuse and squibs. (Photo by Tim Wade and Dennis King, courtesy of MP Associates.)
