Poudre B was the first practical
smokeless gunpowder. It was perfected between 1882 and 1884 at "Laboratoire Central des Poudres et Salpêtres" in Paris, France. Originally called "Poudre V", from the name of the inventor,
Paul Vieille, it was arbitrarily renamed "Poudre B" (short for
poudre blanche -- white powder, as distinguished from
black powder) to distract German espionage. "Poudre B" is made from 68.2% insoluble
nitrocellulose, 29.8% soluble nitrocellulose gelatinized with
ether and 2% paraffin. "Poudre B" is made up of very small paper-thin flakes that are not white but dark greenish grey in color. "Poudre B" was first used to load the
8mm Lebel cartridges issued in 1886 for the
Lebel rifle.