Alfred Nobel established 90 armaments factories and held 350 patents
Alfred Nobel developed an interest in Sweden's arms industry in 1893, and the following year he purchased an ironworks at Bofors, close to Varmland, which later served as the foundation for the renowned Bofors arms plant. In addition to explosives, Nobel created other discoveries, including synthetic silk and leather. In total, he registered more than 350 patents in different nations.
In 1857, he applied for his first patent for a gas meter. He created the detonator, the blasting cap, and the explosive ballistite, which served as a predecessor to many contemporary smokeless powder explosives and is currently employed as a rocket propellant. By the time of his passing, Nobel had also established 90 munitions manufacturers.
He owned 29 Swedish and 58 English patents, some of them are:
- 1863. Patent number 1261. Ways to prepare gunpowder.
- 1864. Patent number 668. Method for the blasting of nitroglycerine. (Application not completed.)
- 1864. Patent number 63. Improvements in process of preparing and use of gunpowder.
- 1866. Patent number 99. Ways to prevent freezing of nitroglycerine.
- 1867. Patent number 102. Dynamite or Nobel’s gunpowder.
- 1857. Patent number 2507. Gas meter.
- 1859. Patent number 177. Apparatus for measuring water or other liquids.
- 1859. Patent number 556. Construction of barometer or manometer, to create a cheap and easy transport pressure gauge.
- 1863. Patent number 2359. Improvements in the production of “gunpowder” (black powder), and blasting powder.
