Frederick Abel and James Dewar develop cordite propellant at the Royal Arsenal
- When
- 1888–1889
- Where
- Royal Arsenal; Nobel's English patent No. 1470 filing
- Episodes
- 2
Frederick Abel and James Dewar, assisted by W. Kellner, developed cordite, a smokeless propellant, at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich. The team jointly patented the propellant in 1889, replacing black powder for military firearms. This development followed Nobel's Ballistite patent and led to legal disputes over patent rights. Cordite was subsequently adopted by the British government in 1891.
Episodes
- Patent Infringement Claim
Alfred Nobel alleged patent infringement against Abel and Dewar regarding his 1888 English patent No. 1470, 'Improvements in the manufacture of explosives'.
- Joint Patent for Cordite
Abel, Dewar, and Kellner jointly patented a new ballistite-like propellant in 1889, which became known as cordite.
Background and detail
Background. The Royal Arsenal in Woolwich served as a center for armament manufacture and explosives research. Frederick Abel, appointed as the first War Department Chemist in 1854, established himself as the leading British authority on explosives. His work prepared the way for smokeless powders, including cordite, which was invented jointly by Abel and Sir James Dewar.
Development. Alfred Nobel patented Ballistite in 1887, prompting Abel, Dewar, and W. Kellner to develop a similar propellant. The team jointly patented this new propellant in 1889, which became known as cordite. This propellant was developed for military use at the Royal Arsenal and produced at Waltham Abbey from 1889 onwards.
Patent Dispute. Nobel alleged patent infringement against Abel and Dewar regarding his 1888 English patent. The dispute centered on the rights to cordite, which Abel had jointly developed with Dewar. Nobel later took out additional patents in 1889, but the scope was limited to explosives used for blasting in mines.
People involved
- Frederick Abel · Chemist
- James Dewar · Chemist
- W. Kellner · Committee Member
- Alfred Nobel · Competitor
Sources
- Cordite Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-03
- Frederick Abel Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-29
- Royal Arsenal Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-09
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.