Meal powder is the fine dust left over when black powder (gunpowder) is corned and screened to separate it into different grain sizes. It is used extensively in various pyrotechnic procedures, usually to prime other compositions. It can also be used in many fireworks to add power and substantially increasing the height of the firework.
'Mill meal' powder is a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur in the correct proportions (75:15:10) which has been ball-milled to mix it intimately. It is used in the same way as commercial meal powder or can be pressed and corned to produce true black powder.
To make meal powder or black powder, a chemist mixes the ingredients by mass, never by volume. These ingredients are processed in a ball mill, basically a spinning drum with non-sparking ceramic or lead balls. The more time left in the mill, the more "explosive" the powder will be. One main reason to ball mill as opposed to other methods is because it presses sulfur and KNO3 into the porous charcoal.
meal — W2S2 [mi:l] n [Sense: 1,3; Origin: Old English mAl time, meal ] [Sense: 2; Origin: Old English melu] 1.) an occasion when you eat food, for example breakfast or dinner, or the food that you eat on that occasion ▪ After the movie we went for a… … Dictionary of contemporary English
meal — UK US /miːl/ noun ► [C] an occasion when food is eaten, or the food which is eaten on such an occasion: go out/take sb out for a meal »He took the whole team out for a meal at the end of the project. have/eat a meal »I have my main meal at midday … Financial and business terms
meal — Ⅰ. meal [1] ► NOUN 1) any of the regular daily occasions when food is eaten. 2) the food eaten on such an occasion. ● make a meal of Cf. ↑make a meal of ORIGIN Old English … English terms dictionary
Meal — Meal, v. t. 1. To sprinkle with, or as with, meal. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. To pulverize; as, mealed powder. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
powder — [n] fine, loose grains made by crushing a solid crumb, dust, film, grain, grit, meal, particle, pounce, pulverulence, seed, talc; concepts 471,831 Ant. solid powder [v] crush into fine grains; sprinkle fine grains abrade, bray, comminute, cover,… … New thesaurus
meal — [[t]mi͟ːl[/t]] ♦♦♦ meals 1) N COUNT A meal is an occasion when people sit down and eat, usually at a regular time. She sat next to him throughout the meal... It s rare that I have an evening meal with my children. 2) N COUNT A meal is the food… … English dictionary
Meal, Combat, Individual ration — Elements of a USAF Meal, Combat, Individual ration, as served in Da Nang, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, 1966 or 1967 The Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) was the name of canned wet combat rations issued by the United States Armed Forces… … Wikipedia
meal — /mi:l/ noun 1 (C) an occasion when you eat food, for example breakfast or lunch: Dinner is the main meal of the day for most people. | What time are you having your meal? | go (out) for a meal: After the movie we went for a meal in a Chinese… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
meal — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. repast, refection; breakfast, dinner, lunch, etc.; powder, grits. Slang, feed, eats. See food, powderiness. II (Roget s IV) n. 1. [Ground feed] Syn. bran, farina, grits, groats, fodder, provender,… … English dictionary for students
meal — 1. n. 1 an occasion when food is eaten. 2 the food eaten on one occasion. Phrases and idioms: make a meal of 1 treat (a task etc.) too laboriously or fussily. 2 consume as a meal. meals on wheels Brit. a service by which meals are delivered to… … Useful english dictionary
