Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino (better known as BPD), was a

chemical A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...

company founded in 1912 by

Giovanni Bombrini Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...

and Leopoldo Parodi-Delfino to produce gunpowder and explosives. Around its location in

Colleferro Colleferro (IPA: /kɔllefɛrro/) is a small town with 20 698 inhabitants of the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is a residential zone with many different industries and sports structures. It borders the City of ...

(south of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

) soon grew a small town attracting manpower from the nearby farms. After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, BPD expanded its activities on fertilizers and cement at nearby

Segni Segni (, ) is an Italian town and ''comune'' located in Lazio. The city is situated on a hilltop in the Lepini Mountains and overlooks the valley of the Sacco River. History Early history According to ancient Roman sources, Lucius Tarquinius ...

(Società Calce e Cementi). In 1938 an explosion in the gunpowder plant killed 60 people. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, BPD diversified into

metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals in order to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term, it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on e ...

textiles Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

and

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

. The last remaining owner, the Parodi-Delfino family, entered a joint venture with SNIA-Viscosa in 1968. SNIA's chemical division was thereafter named SNIA BPD until BPD was sold to

Simmel Difesa Simmel Difesa is an Italian firm located in Colleferro that manufacturers land and naval munitions. Founded in 1948, Simmel specialized in the production of large-caliber munitions. In 1988, Simmel was acquired by the Fiat Group. During this peri ...

, when it was renamed SNIA SpA.

BPD contribution to missile research

BPD played an important role in developing missile solid fuels. In 1952, on behalf of the

Aeronautica Militare The Italian Air Force (; AM, ) is the air force of the Italian Republic. The Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923 by King Victor Emmanuel III as the ("Royal Air Force"). After World War II, when Italy b ...

, BPD patented a solid fuel based on nitro-glycerine and cellulose nitrate, the first step in developing experimental missiles on an industrial scale. The Aeronautica_Militare also contracted BPD to develop a meteorological missile, called the ''160-70'', employing two propulsion systems. The ''160-70'' was successfully employed in many launches between 1961 and 1963. In 1961 state and private companies merged; publicly owned

Finmeccanica Leonardo S.p.A., formerly Leonardo-Finmeccanica and originally Finmeccanica, is an Italian multinational company specialising in aerospace, defence and security. Headquartered in Rome, the company has 180 sites worldwide. It is the 12th largest ...

and the private firms BPD and

FIAT Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

were incorporated into the Società Generale Missilistica Italiana. SNIA-BPD also developed a series of air-to-surface rockets in the 1980s as part of the Medusa rocket system. The rockets were of 51-mm, 81-mm, and 122-mm caliber.Jane's article on Medusa.
/ref>

References

External links

BPD worker.BPD-produced 20-mm round of ammunition.

Bibliography

*AA.VV:, Le attività spaziali italiane dal dopoguerra all’istituzione dell’Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Agenzia Spaziale Europea Aerospace companies of Italy Defence companies of Italy Chemical companies of Italy Italian brands Chemical companies established in 1912 Italian companies established in 1912 Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1968 1968 disestablishments in Italy 1968 mergers and acquisitions {{Italy-company-stub