Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive that was invented in 1866 by Swedish physicist Alfred Nobel and patented by him a year later. Nobel is most familiar to us today as the founder of the Nobel Prize. Many have observed the irony in the fact that he left his multimillion dollar fortune, made by the patenting and manufacture of dynamite and other inventions, to establish prizes awarded "to those, who during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."
Actually, Nobel invented dynamite to make the dangerous explosive, nitroglycerin, a safer substance. As a pacifist, he did not intend his invention to be used for war; indeed, there are indications he believed its use could bring war to an end more swiftly, or that the horrors of such an explosive would prevent warfare in the first place. Nobel also saw the need for explosives in mining, engineering, industry, transport, and other peaceful applications. His intention was to meet this need and in this he succeeded, making many of the great engineering projects of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries possible.
For centuries prior to the introduction of dynamite, gunpowder was the only explosive available; it was useful but limited in its applications. Then in 1846, an Italian chemist named Ascanio Sobrero (1812-1888) invented nitroglycerine. The pale-yellow oil was not detonated by flame or spark like gunpowder, but by impact or percussion. Unfortunately, it was so highly combustible that if even a small bottle was dropped, it could easily blow up a building.
In the mid-nineteenth century, Nobel and his father Immanuel, also a noted inventor, became convinced of nitroglycerine's promise and began manufacturing it. Numerous accidents due to the volatility of the compound limited its usefulness. In fact, Nobel's own factory blew up in 1864, killing five people, including his younger brother. Many unfortunate experiences involving the inappropriate use of nitroglycerine were reported. Not realizing that even a slight shock or temperature change could cause the oil to explode, people reportedly used nitroglycerine for lamp oil, boot polish, or for greasing wagon wheels--often with fatal consequences. Despite the enormous risks associated with transporting nitroglycerine, miners were particularly anxious to get their hands on it. The resulting effort to meet demand for the liquid increased the occurrence of explosions during the transportation process. Many warehouses, factories, and ships around the globe were damaged or destroyed, which created a worldwide stir. Governments, pressured public outcry, began to ban the transport and/or possession of the material.
The need for a safe but powerful explosive prompted Nobel to find a way to make nitroglycerine safer without significantly diminishing its power. He had already invented (in 1865) a detonating cap to give more control over the timing of an explosion once the substance was in place, but that did not solve the problem of handling or transportation. Nobel then discovered that he could turn the oil into a manageable solid by soaking it up into a porous material. Many nonexplosive inert substances were tried: paper, wood, waste, brick dust, and dry clay. Finally in 1864, he discovered that a mineral called kieselguhr, found mainly in northern Germany, seemed to do the job. It soaked up the nitroglycerine without changing its chemical makeup, and the resulting doughlike substance could be made into hard cakes or sticks. Though it was 25 percent less powerful than pure nitroglycerine, it was still far more powerful than gunpowder, and easily manageable. Nobel named this new explosive dynamite (after the Greek word dynamis, meaning power). He patented it under two names: Dynamite and Nobel's Safety Powder.
The story about Nobel's invention was often changed to one in which the discovery was accidental--this version claimed that some nitroglycerine had leaked into kieselguhr used in packing some containers. Nobel strenuously denied this account throughout his life. Although he readily admitted the accidental nature of some later inventions, he remained proud of the systematic scientific research that had been involved in the invention of dynamite.
Even in this safer form, dynamite was at first regarded suspiciously by some governments, which refused to allow its importation. The major gunpowder manufacturers tried to stop it from being patented. Later, when the military usages of dynamite became apparent, governments reversed their decision. Soon Nobel had factories worldwide. Within 20 years of the patent, 66,500 tons of dynamite were produced worldwide; 90 years after its invention, 400,000 tons a year were produced in the United States alone. Well into the twentieth century, dynamite was essential in warfare; the explosive power of bombs used in World War II was made possible by Nobel's inventions. Thus Nobel's peaceful intentions were overshadowed by the violent use of his product.
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