GB1215378A - Thickened slurried inorganic oxidizer-alcohol-water-explosive mixtures - Google Patents

Abstract

1,215,378. Explosive compositions. COMMERCIAL SOLVENTS CORP. 15 Jan., 1968, No. 2120/68. Heading C1D. An explosive slurry, which is detonatable by a primer under confinement, comprises a mixture of an inorganic oxidizer, an aliphatic alcohol having 1-4 carbon atoms, water, and an alcohol thickening agent. The inorganic oxidizer may be ammonium nitrate, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Sr, or Ba nitrate, Na, K, or Ba chlorate or perchlorate, Ca perchlorate, or mixtures thereof. The alcohol may be methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, isobutanol, butanol-1, butanol-2, or tertiary butyl alcohol. Suitable thickening agents are methyl hydroxypropyl guar gum and polyoxyethylene glycols and glycol ethers. A sensitizing explosive may also be present, e.g. nitrostarch, TNT, DNT, PETN, trimethylolethane trinitrate, pentolite, cyclonite, nitrocellulose, composition B, cyclotol, tetryl, and smokeless powder. The pH of the slurry is preferably below 4 or above 7; to adjust the pH, the following may be added: nitric, sulphuric, hydrochloric, phosphoric, trichloracetic, sulphonic, sulphinic, or formic acid, urea nitrate, urea chloride, pyridine hydrochloride, sodium, ammonium or potassium hydroxide, sodium triphosphate, sodium monohydrogen phosphate, sodium metaborate, sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, potassium carbonate, sodium acetate, or calcium hydroxide. Particulate Al or Al-Mg alloy may be included as a metal fuel; Al may be coated with a silicone resin or PTFE; other additional fuels referred to are ferrosilicon, beryllium, lithium, boron, powdered coal or coke, petroleum oil, charcoal, bagasse, dextrine, starch, wood meal, flour bran, and pecan meal. ZnO, CaCO 3 , Al 2 0 3 or Na 2 CO 3 may be added as antacid or stabilizing material. The explosive composition may be mixed close to the point of use and pumped into blast holes.