Aqueous slurry explosives having improved oxidizer-fuel system and method of making

Claim 2

A composition of claim 2 containing at least 25 percent of said metal nitrate oxidizer and at least 20 percent of said amine nitrate fuel.

Claim 3

A composition of claim 3 containing an alkylamine nitrate having from 1 to 3 alkyl carbon atoms, as an amine nitrate fuel.

Claim 4

A composition of claim 3 containing calcium nitrate as a metal nitrate oxidizer and monomethylamine nitrate as an amine nitrate fuel.

Claim 5

A composition of claim 3 containing an alkanolamine nitrate having from 2 to 3 alkanol carbon atoms, as an amine nitrate fuel.

Claim 6

A composition of claim 3 containing hexamethylenetetramine nitrate as an amine nitrate fuel.

Claim 7

A composition of claim 1 containing a sufficient proportion of said metal nitrate oxidizer for the formation of a glass, in the aqueous solution phase, stable at temperatures below the freezing point of water.

Claim 8

A composition of claim 8 containing at least 40 percent calcium nitrate as a metal nitrate oxidizer.

Claim 9

A composition of claim 9 containing at least 25 percent dimethylamine nitrate and at least 45 percent calcium nitrate, as said fuel-oxidizer system.

Claim 10

A composition of claim 1 wherein said amine nitrate fuel is selected from the group consisting of mono-, di-, and trimethylamine nitrates, and said metal oxidizer salt is calcium nitrate in at least major proportion; and said composition containing from 12 to 25 percent water, from 0 to 10 percent of a carbonaceous fuel, from 0 to 30 percent of a particulate metal energizer, from 5 to 40 percent of a supplemental inorganic oxidizer salt, and from 0.5 to 2.5 percent of a gelation agent in cross-linked form.

Claim 11

A composition of claim 11 containing an alkylamine nitrate having from 1 to 3 alkyl carbon atoms as said amine nitrate fuel.

Claim 12

A composition of claim 12 in which said alkylamine nitrate is methylamine nitrate.

Claim 13

A composition of claim 11 containing up to about 10 percent ethylene glycol as a supplementary fuel.

Claim 14

A composition of claim 11 containing a particulate metal as a supplementary fuel.

Claim 15

A composition of claim 15 containing a particulate silicon as a supplementary fuel.

Claim 16

A composition of claim 15 containing a particulate aluminum as a supplemental fuel.

Claim 17

A composition of claim 11 containing from 10 to 35 percent of a supplemental inorganic oxidizer salt.

Claim 18

A composition of claim 18 in which ammonium nitrate is at least a major proportion of said supplemental inorganic oxidizer salt.

Claim 19

A composition of claim 11 containing a sufficient proportion of said metal nitrate oxidizer for the formation of glass, in the aqueous solution phase, stable at temperatures below the freezing point of water.

Claim 20

A composition of claim 20 containing at least 40 percent calcium nitrate as said metal nitrate oxidizer, and monomethylamine nitrate as said amine nitrate fuel.

Claim 21

In a process for the manufacture of an aqueous slurry inorganic oxidizer salt type explosive, the improvement providing for the formation of an aqueous solution phase therefor without need for elevated temperatures comprising forming, under ambient temperature conditions, a separate solution of each of (1) a combined fuel-oxidizer system for said explosive in a portion of the total water component for said explosive, and (2) a supplemental inorganic oxidizer salt for said explosive in the remainder of said water component; regulating the waTer content of each said solution to maintain crystallization temperature of each at a level below said ambient temperature, and maintaining the total inorganic oxidizer salt content of said supplemental salt solution at a level not exceeding about 40 percent of the weight of said explosive; said fuel-oxidizer comprising from 18 to 70 percent of a Group II (Periodic System) metal nitrate oxidizer selected from the group consisting of calcium nitrate, strontium nitrate, cadmium nitrate, a mixture of any of said nitrates, strontium nitrate, cadmium nitrate, a mixture of any of said nitrates, and magnesium nitrate together with at least one of said calcium, strontium and cadmium nitrates in a weight ratio thereto not exceeding about 1:1, in combination with from 10 to 60 percent of an amine nitrate fuel component selected from the group consisting of lower alkylamine nitrates containing from 1 to 8 alkyl carbon atoms, alkanolamine nitrates containing from 2 to 9 alkanol carbon atoms, and hexamethylenetetramine nitrate (HMTAN); and admixing the separately formed fuel-oxidizer, and supplemental salt, solutions under ambient temperature conditions to form the resulting admixture as said aqueous solution phase.

Claim 22

In a process of claim 22, forming said solution of fuel-oxidizer system from calcium nitrate and monomethylamine nitrate; and forming said supplemental salt solution from ammonium nitrate.