The History of Explosives in Switzerland - Selected Highlights

Abstract

Around the time that Switzerland was established, the use of black powder or gun powder was also mentioned for the first time in this area. For the following five hundred years black powder was the only explosive known in Switzerland. The performance of black powder depended very much on the production process. In the 19th century, Prof. Schönbein synthesized the new energetic material cellulose nitrate at the University of Basel. Also in the 19th century the use of fireworks in Switzerland was mentioned for the first time. During World War I a new cellulose nitrate propellant plant was built in Wimmis. Today, new energetic materials which are not available commercially are synthesized and characterized in the laboratories of armasuisse.