It was not until the middle of14th century that the use of gunpowder and firearms was recorded in Britain and France.
China invented gunpowder, which was first used to make fireworks, and was soon used in military affairs, and also invented the world's first rocket. The military application of guns and muskets in China in Song Dynasty was quite mature, which made China's science and technology far ahead of the world.
Modern gunpowder
Development history
The origin of modern gunpowder is 177 1 year. P. Wolff of England synthesized picric acid, which is a yellow crystal. It was originally used as a yellow dye (note this, indicating that it was not influenced by the so-called "black powder" and was discovered by accident, which is also the origin of the name of yellow powder). Later, its explosive function was discovered, and it was widely used in the military in the19th century. This is a high explosive.
1779, British chemist e Howard invented mercury fulminate, also known as mercury fulminate. It is a kind of primary explosive, which is used to prepare cap primary explosive and piercing explosive, and also used to charge detonators for blasting.
1807, the Scots invented the first igniter made of potassium chlorate, sulfur and carbon. 1838, T.J. Pelu first discovered that cotton would explode after being soaked in nitric acid. 1845, German chemist C.F. Schoenbein soaked cotton in a mixed solution of nitric acid and sulfuric acid to wash away excess acid, and invented nitrocellulose, namely collodion.
1860, the prussian army major e Schultz made the propellant for guns and shells from nitrocellulose. Commonly known as cotton gunpowder. At this point, nitrocellulose powder replaced black powder as propellant.