Aqueous explosives slurries containing sulfur compounds having a low coefficient of expansion

Claim 1

AN AQUEOUS SLURRIED EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION CHARACTERIZED BY A RELATIVELY STABLE LOW COEFICIENT OF EXPANSION WITH TEMPERATURE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN INORGANIC NITRATE OXIDIZER IN AN AMOUNT WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 95%, A PARTICULATE ACTIVE METAL FUEL IN AN AMOUNT WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 0.5 TO ABOUT 50%, AN AQUEOUS LIQUID IN AN AMOUNT TO FORM A SLURRY, A SULFUR COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF INORGANIC THIOSULFATES AND ORGANIC SULFONATES IN AN AMOUNT SUFFFICIENT TO INHIBIT THE THERMAL EXPANSION OF THE SLURRY, AND A STABLIZING METAL COMPOUND UNREACTIVE WITH THE EXPLOSIV E SLURRY COMPONENTS AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METALS OF GROUPS I TO VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE, OTHER THAN THE ALKALI METALS, ALKALINE EARTH METALS, ALUMINUM, IRON AND CHROMIUM, IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO LESSEN ANY DECOMPOSITION OF THE SUL FUR COMPOUND AND TO INHIBIT THERMAL EXPANSION.