Project/Area Number |
16K13288
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Research Field |
History of Europe and America
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Research Institution | J. F. Oberlin University |
Principal Investigator |
Kato Akira 桜美林大学, 法学・政治学系, 教授 (10286239)
|
Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
|
Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
|
Budget Amount *help |
¥3,510,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥810,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
|
Keywords | 木灰 / 灰汁煮 / 硝石 / 硝酸カリウム / 黒色火薬 / 森林 / 覇権 / カリウム |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The research proves the hypothesis that British Empire established hegemony in 18th ,19th century because she monopolized saltpeter from British India and wood ash from North America. Nitrate potassium in saltpeter, which is a main material of black powder, is produced by AKUNI, which is the chemical process of potassium from wood ash and nitric acid from saltpeter. In fact, nitrate potassium is produced in British India without wood ash from North America. Though the original hypothesis was wrong, another research question comes out. Where was large amount of wood ash made in British India? AKUNI needs a lot of wood for boiling water and manufacturing of nitrate acid. In 19th century, saltpeter contains mainly sodium nitrate was found in Chile, it was used for black powder instead of nitrate acid. Sodium acid, more deliquescent than nitrate acid, is not good for black powder. DuPont invented the technology of coating sodium nitrate by graphite to kill deliquescency.
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Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
銃とともに人類文明の盛衰や国家の興亡に多大な影響を与えた黒色火薬の主原料である硝石(硝酸カリウム)について、下記の項目を明らかにすることで、ウランやプルトニウムに匹敵する戦略物資である硝石から人類文明史を見直すことができる。①硝石丘法(欧州)、堆肥法(日本)など、人造硝石製造法の伝播経路②硝石の精製法(灰汁煮)の伝播経路③灰汁煮に必要な木灰や燃料となる森林資源と硝石との関係④中国からモンゴル帝国を経て伝播したといわれるイスラム世界における硝石の調達法。結局、モンゴル、中国、イスラムの東洋文明が西洋文明に圧倒された原因は、火薬と銃の技術で劣っていたからである。
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