Soon the trees disappeared, the gradient increased and the soil became black and powder-fine.

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Common uses for black powder include as gunpowder in muzzle-loading guns, as a blasting powder and as a propellant in rockets for fireworks.

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There are a number of Deringer's pistols in the auction that come complete with their original black leather-covered cases, powder flasks, cleaning rods and other tools.

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Much larger quantities of black powder and similar low-grade explosives can be purchased at gun stores and other outlets, he said, and would have been a simpler and cheaper way for the alleged bombers to procure explosive material.

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These are wrapped in carbon nanotubes - tiny "straws" of pure carbon that are renowned for their electrical properties - and coated with a platinum black powder.

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Black Powder Media showed up at our double-wide HQ with a couple Bluetooth Impulse Controllers on hand for us to play with.

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And while these works may seem ephemeral - often made from sand and mud rather than canvas and paint, their creators clearly expect them to survive beyond the next exhibition, leaving detailed instructions of how to recreate the work, and often rebuilding it themselves (as Turner nominee Karla Black did last week with her powder and make-up creation on the floor of Tramway).

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