Noun
A white crystalline semitransparent salt; potassium nitrate; saltpeter. See Saltpeter.
Native sodium carbonate; natron.
See Niter.
Source: Webster's dictionary"Brown gunpowder" is cited as composed of 79% nitre, 3% sulfur, and 18% charcoal per 100 of dry powder, with about 2% moisture. Source: Internet
The state-controlled manufacture of gunpowder by the Ottoman Empire through early supply chains to obtain nitre, sulfur and high-quality charcoal from oaks in Anatolia contributed significantly to its expansion between the 15th and 18th century. Source: Internet