November 20th, 2012

Origins of Pyrodex Black Powder Substitute

Pyrodex certainly sounds cool, but does anyone know where the name came from? In 1972, chemist Dan Pawlak developed a mixture that performed like black powder but was much safer to handle. This black powder substitute was able to win a Flammable Solid designation from the Department of Transportation, which meant it could be shipped like regular smokeless powder.

Dan called this mixture a pyrotechnic deflagrating explosive…or Pyrodex for short.

Pyrodex Logo

Pyrodex Product Photo