Alfred Nobel patents dynamite in the United Kingdom

Background. Alfred Nobel devoted himself to the study of explosives, particularly the safe manufacture and use of nitroglycerin. He discovered that incorporating nitroglycerin into an absorbent inert substance like kieselguhr made it safer and more convenient to handle. This mixture, which he named dynamite, was patented in 1867 as a safer alternative to traditional black powder-based explosives.

Patent Process. Nobel obtained patents for his inventions in England on 7 May 1867. The patent text initially considered naming the substance "Nobel's Safety Powder" to improve the image of his business, but he settled on "Dynamite," derived from the Greek word for power. This patent was part of his broader efforts to secure intellectual property rights for his explosive compounds.

Commercial Impact. Dynamite was widely adopted as a safer and more robust alternative to black powder shortly after its introduction. Separately, the founder of the Giant Powder Company of San Francisco, California, obtained exclusive rights from Nobel in 1867, and that company became the first to manufacture dynamite in the United States. Over his lifetime Nobel was issued 355 patents internationally, and by his death his business had established more than 90 explosives and armament factories.