History

As early as 1000 CE, potassium nitrate was used in explosives and bombs, although we didn't quite pinpoint it until the 9th century, when it was identified by Chinese chemists confirmed that Potassium Nitrate as a compound would produce smoke and flames. After two centuries of research and tests on the compound, it began being widely used by incorporating it with other compounds, to create substances such as gunpowder, which was used to fight off enemies throughout the 13th and 14th centuries. By the 13th century, it had spread from Asia into the Western world, and by the14th century, black powder and guns were beginning to be manufactured in Europe, and though the first firearms were considered inefficient and ineffective, they ended up contributing to the end of the European feudal system, arguably gunpowder has been responsible for many changes throughout history. As more applications for potassium nitrate came to light in the mid-19th century, it came into increased demand and its production shifted from mining in caves to manufacturing in labs.