BXBX NOVEL Chapter 110 Mercury Fulminate (1)
It took Kant a day after testing the rifled musket to come up with a proper percussion cap lock system to be fitted and replace the flintlock system as if he going to waste time building a whole new rifle.
A percussion cap is a single-use ignition device that would allow it to fire in any weather. It was one of Kant's top priorities, for once the percussion cap is invented, it would allow for more complex guns to be built in the future.
Kant got Arjun to get Paul to set up a meeting with Alchemist Heinz Duesenberg and his assistant partner, Mira. Although Duesenberg and Mira knew the chemical compounds they would be using, they didn't really know what they were making, or what he wanted them to make.
As a result, Kant decided to stroll along and help them. It was a way to get to know them and form a picture of what kind of technology he would be dealing with and relying on. Duesenberg, on the other hand, wanted the opportunity to work with Kant Maybale, ever since he managed to deliver on his last request, gunpowder.
Though Kant Maybale (Or Howard Bright in this regard) was a mechanical engineer, he still had a good understanding of high school chemistry. Besides, he already had made mercury fulminate in his previous life, thanks to a certain TV Show with blue rocks.
Kant arrives at their place of work in a carriage, dressed in his black suit. Their home, which was also where they worked, appeared to be made out of stone, with the roofs and floors made out of wood, with the windows featuring some glass. Kant was led to Heinz Duesenberg's room by a man, where they found him standing next to a strawberry-blond-haired woman with green eyes, Mira.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, sire." He bowed down to show respect, along with Mira.
"Likewise, Mr. Heinz Duesenberg, Miss Mira. I am glad to be here," Kant replied back with a friendly and polite tone. He raised his hand, wanting to shake Heinz's hand. There was an awkward silence before Duesenberg got the cue, and shook his hand. He handed him to Mira, who shook it immediately.
"Now, I am assuming you prepared the glassware and elements we need?" Kant asked Duesenberg.
"Yes, your highness. It is right there on the table." He used his finger on the wooden table, holding the glassware and elements contained in a glass jar, sealed tight with a rubber lid. He walks over to examine them and smiles.
"Good. This is what we need. Before we start, may I request some gloves and safety glasses?" Duesenberg looked at Mira, who immediately went into storage and grabbed what Kant wanted, and handed it over.
"Thank you, Miss Mira," he politely thanked, before putting the safety equipment on.
"Excuse me, sire. I apologize if I sound rude, but what are we making... exactly?"
"Well, Mr. Heinz. We will be making mercury fulminate. It is a primary explosive that is highly sensitive to heat, friction, and shock."
"Is that so? Well, do you perhaps know how to make it?"
"Yes, I do. That is why I am here." Kant grabs a measuring tube and a glass veil of nitric acid. He tries to measure 10 ml of nitric acid but was soon stopped as Duesenberg feared that he might get in trouble if the prince gets hurt.
"Maybe I should handle it, sire? You can just... instruct me on what to do, while my assistant Mira will bring in the things we need." Kant turns around to face him, meeting him in the eyes.
"Hmm... Alright." he hands over the veil containing a yellow fuming liquid and the measuring tube.
"First, we pour 10ml of concentrated nitric acid into a beaker. Then, we add 1 ml of mercury to that beaker. I rather pour the mercury while outside, considering it might produce nitrogen dioxide gas, which we wouldn't want to inhale."
"Would a fume hood work fine?" Duesenberg asks.
"Works just fine," Kant replies.
"I see... Mira, can you get the measure and get the mercury?"
"Yes sir, on it!" Mira went over and grabbed the small bottle containing liquid mercury. She opens the glass bottle and uses a pipette to get 1 ml of mercury. Mira then walks over to Duesenberg, who had already measured and poured the nitric acid into the beaker.
"Should I, sire?"
"Yes, put it in." With that, Mira drops the mercury into the beaker and closed the glass door. Inside, they can see a reaction taking place, all while it released nitrogen dioxide gas. The glass beaker was occasionally swirled around by Mira for it to fully react.
"While we wait for that to react fully, we should set up the other part."
"I see sire, what do we need?"
"We need a round bottom flask, held on by a retort stand arm. Inside, we pour 15 ml of concentrated ethanol."
"Does sire know how to operate a retort stand?" he asked.
"Yes, I have used one before."
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ "Ah. Perfect! Then shall I go measure the ethanol?"
"Alright. Sure." Kant replied. With that, Duesenberg went over to measure the ethanol in a different measuring tube, while Kant set up the stand. Soon, Duesenberg carries over 15 ml of ethanol to Kant.
"Should I pour it inside, sire?"
"No. Not here. We should place it inside the fume hood. In case it produces some kind of gas again."
"Alright, sire..." Duesenberg's head turns to Mira, who was still swirling the beaker.
"Mira! Is it done?" Duesenberg asks.
"Yes sir! It is done! Should I bring it over?"
"No, don't. We are bringing over the retort stand over there," he said. While Kant was given the measuring tube, halfway filled with ethanol, Duesenberg brings it over, and place it inside the fume hood. Kant pours the ethanol inside the round-bottom flask and motivates Mira to pour the liquid compound inside the flask as well.
"But sire! What if something bad happens?" Mira asks, a little afraid.
"Unlikely. We most likely would have to heat up the mixture inside for it to start reacting. Besides, if you are unwilling to cooperate, then hand it over to me, or Mr. Duesenberg here."
"Alright sire." she gives the beaker to Duesenberg, who ends up being the one to pour it inside the glass flask. As soon as the compound touches with the concentrated ethanol, glutamate, and GABA are instantly released into Heinz and Mira's brains, being disappointed at the fact that nothing is happening.
"As I said, it was unlikely a reaction could happen on its own." Kant picks up a beaker and hands it over to Mira.
"I heard you are the one capable of magic. Would you mind casting a spell that would fill this beaker in hot water? Halfway is fine." Mira takes the beaker and looks at it, before refocusing her eyes on Kant.
"Of course, sire." She points her left index finger and casts a spell. Soon, steaming hot water pours out of her fingertips, filling it up halfway, as Kant had requested. Once she was done, she hands over the beaker to Kant.
"Here you go, sire." Before he could pick it up, Duesenberg grabs the beaker away from Mira.
"Allow me, sire."
"Alright then. Just hold it under the flask. Make sure that the water is touching." Duesenberg did as he was told. After a few minutes, the reaction between compounds starts reacting, producing copious amounts of white fumes. Duesenberg takes the hot beaker off and closed the glass door. The white fumes blow out of the flask, while some precipitate is left at the bottom of the flask.
Eventually, the reaction started to slow down, producing less white fumes and making the flask clear again. What was left is a grayish precipitate at bottom of the flask, including a solution that contains mostly nitric acid, water, and ethanol.
"Is that it, sire?" Mira asks.
"No. We are going to have to stabilize it first. We are going to have to get rid of the nitric acid inside."
"How do we do that?"
"I assume we will have to wash the crystals. That would be the next logical step to getting rid of anything unnecessary." Duesenberg turns to Kant.
"What do you think, sire?"
"I think I agree with you, Mr. Heinz. Miss Mira, would you mind adding 25 ml of water inside?"
"Oh, of course!" Mira grabs a measuring tube and pours it inside. Kant, grabbed a beaker, and a glass funnel. and to his surprise, filter paper, he took the glass flask and poured the solution through it. While the gray precipitate stayed, the solution went past it, reaching the breaker. The precipitate was then poured back into the flask, and given to Mira.
"I would like to make sure that it is thoughtfully washed. Would you mind pouring in more water, Miss Mira? I would prefer it to be cold." Mira did not object.