The development of Dynamite. From Braconnot to Nobel

Abstract

Henry Braconnot (1780-1855), Théophile-Jules Pelouze (1807-1867), and Ascanio Sobrero (1812-1888) are the central figures in discovering the explosive nature and properties of the reaction products of mixtures of nitric and sulfuric acids with carbohydrates (sugars, starches, cellulose, lignin) and polyalcohols, within the short period of 1833-1850. Their findings allowed Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833-1896) to transform the knowledge about a product dangerous to handle, into industrial reality and thus initiate the modern industry of explosives. Here we describe the historical development of the scientific knowledge until its crystallization into dynamite.