wˌaɪl sˈɪmɪlɚ tə blˈæk pˈaʊdɚ, ɪt wʌz kˈɛmɪkli fˈɔːɹmjʊlˌeɪɾᵻd ænd fˈɔːɹmd haɪdɹˈɔːlɪkli ˌɪntʊ ɐ spəsˈɪfɪk ɡɹˈeɪn ʃˈeɪp tə pɹəvˈaɪd slˈoʊɚ bˈɜːn ɹˈeɪts wɪð nˈuːtɹəl ɔːɹ pɹəɡɹˈɛsɪv bˈɜːnɪŋ, æz əpˈoʊzd tə ðə fˈæstɚ ænd ɹᵻɡɹˈɛsɪv bˈɜːn tˈɪpɪkəl ʌv ɹˈændəmli ʃˈeɪpt ɡɹˈeɪnz ʌv blˈæk pˈaʊdɚ pɹədˈuːst baɪ kɹˈʌʃɪŋ ænd skɹˈiːnɪŋ pˈaʊdɚ fˈɔːɹmd ˌɪntʊ ʃˈiːts ɪn ɐ pɹˈɛs bˈɑːks, æz wʌz tˈɪpɪkəl fɔːɹ kˈænən pˈaʊdɚ pɹˈiːviəsli.
While similar to black powder, it was chemically formulated and formed hydraulically into a specific grain shape to provide slower burn rates with  neutral or progressive burning, as opposed to the faster and regressive burn typical of randomly shaped grains of black powder produced by crushing and screening powder formed into sheets in a press box, as was typical for cannon powder previously.