US3653992A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Aqueous slurry salt type explosives containing nitrato-alkanol as sensitizer component and manufacture thereof
Assignee: Ireco Inc
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Filing: 1970-03-05
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Granted: 1972-04-04
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Expires: 1990-03-05
Abstract
Abstract Aqueous slurry salt type explosives containing, as a sensitizer component, a nitrato-alkanol, soluble, and dissolved, in sensitizing amount in the aqueous solution phase. An aqueous solution phase for explosives of the invention and containing the nitrato-alkanol formed in situ, is provided by reacting a suitable epoxide with aqueous excess HNO3 to form the nitrato-alkanol, and then neutralizing the excess HNO3 to form a resulting aqueous salt and nitrato-alkanol product solution, as said aqueous solution phase; and, in a separate embodiment, admixing the remaining ingredients for the explosive with the entire aqueous product solution, to form the slurry explosive product. The nitrato-alkanol, in each method embodiment, is formed and handled without need for isolation of same; and excess HNO3, which enhances equilibrium of the nitrato-alkanol-forming reaction is readily removed by the neutralization which concomitantly provides in situ formation of the salt for incorporation into the explosive product without need for associated separation or isolation steps.
Inventors
- 👤 Harry R Fee
- 👤 Eldon K Hurley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 15:45
CPC Classifications
C; C06; C06B; C06B47/00; C06B47/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
30 words
An explosive of claim 1 containing gas bubbles in sufficient amount to maintain the absolute density of said explosive at a level not exceeding about 99 percent of the theoretical.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
22 words
An explosive of claim 2 containing a thickening amount of a thickener and at least 1 volume percent of said gas bubbles.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
An explosive of claim 3 containing an aeration agent in amount sufficient to generate said gas bubbles in said explosive.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
An explosive of claim 3 containing gas filled hollow spheres as said gas bubbles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
An explosive of claim 3 containing, on a weight basis, from 3 to 40 percent water, from 1 to 75 percent of said nitrato-alkanol, from 10 to 80 percent of said salt, and not more than about 10 percent of said thickener.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
An explosive of claim 3 containing a mononitrato-alkanol as said sensitizer component.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
An explosive of claim 7 containing ethylene glycol mononitrate as said sensitizer component.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
An explosive of claim 8 containing on a weight basis from 30 to 80 percent of said salt, from 12 to 30 percent water, and at least 5 percent of said ethylene glycol mononitrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
An explosive of claim 9 containing a sufficient amount of gas bubbles to maintain its absolute density within the range of from 70 to 98 percent of the theoretical.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
An explosive of claim 9 wherein said salt is inorganic in at least major proportion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
An explosive of claim 11 wherein said inorganic salt comprises ammonium nitrate in at least major proportion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
An explosive of claim 12 containing at least one of an alkylamine nitrate, an alkanolamine nitrate, and calcium nitrate, as a supplemental salt.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
An explosive of claim 9 wherein said salt is organic in at least major proportion.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
An explosive of claim 14 wherein said organic salt comprises at least one of the group of alkylamine nitrates and alkanolamine nitrates in at least major proportion, and said alkylamine nitrates and said alkanolamine nitrates respectively containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl and alkanol groups.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
An explosive of claim 7 wherein said mononitrato-alkanol nitrate is propylene glycol mononitrate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
11 words
An explosive of claim 7 wherein said mononitrato-alkanol is glycerol mononitrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
An explosive of claim 9 containing from 5 to 50 weight percent of said ethylene glycol mononitrate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
9 words
An explosive of claim 9 containing a supplementary fuel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
An exPlosive of claim 19 in which said supplemental fuel is particulate and is at least one of the group of aluminum, silicon, and silicon alloys.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
An explosive of claim 9 wherein the proportion of said ethylene glycol mononitrate is at least about 30 percent, and said thickener comprises at least one of the group of guar gum and an acrylic type thickener.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
An explosive of claim 9 wherein the proportion of said ethylene glycol mononitrate does not exceed about 30 percent and said thickener is hydroxylethylcellulose in crosslinked form.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for the manufacture of an aqueous solution phase for a salt explosive of the aqueous slurry type, said method comprising reacting aqueous nitric acid with an epoxide reactable therewith to form a nitrato-alkanol, as a sensitizer for said explosive and soluble in sensitizing amount in said aqueous solution phase, when said aqueous nitric acid contains HNO3 in stoichiometric excess of said epoxide; and neutralizing excess HNO3 in the resulting reaction mixture to form a water-soluble salt for said explosive and thereby provide the resulting neutralized solution as said aqueous solution phase.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method of claim 23 wherein said epoxide is ethylene oxide, and wherein said excess HNO3 is neutralized with at least one of ammonia, an alkylamine, and an alkanolamine, to form said salt.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for the manufacture of a salt explosive of the aqueous slurry type containing, as a sensitizer component, a nitrato-alkanol, soluble, and dissolved, in a sensitizing amount in the aqueous solution phase of said explosive, said method comprising forming an aqueous solution of said nitrato-alkanol by reacting aqueous nitric acid with an epoxide reactable therewith to form said nitrato-alkanol, when said aqueous acid contains HNO3 in stoichiometric excess of said epoxide; neutralizing excess HNO3 in the resulting reaction mixture to form a water-soluble salt for said explosive, whereby an aqueous product solution of said nitrato-alkanol and said water-soluble salt is formed; and admixing the remaining ingredients for said explosive with said product solution to form said slurry type explosive.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
145 words
A method for the manufacture of a salt explosive of the aqueous slurry type containing ethylene glycol mononitrate as a sensitizer component, including manufacture and incorporation of said ethylene glycol mononitrate into said explosive without isolation of same from the reaction mixture in which it is formed, said method comprising introducing vaporous ethylene oxide into contact with aqueous nitric acid in an HNO3:ethylene oxide stoichiometric weight ratio up to about 2:1, and then reacting said ethylene oxide and said HNO3 to form ethylene glycol mononitrate, whereby an aqueous solution of said ethylene glycol mononitrate and excess HNO3 is formed; introducing a basic reactant of the group of ammonia, an alkylamine, and an alkanolamine into said aqueous solution in proportions for neutralizing said excess HNO3 therein; and incorporating the remaining ingredients for said explosive into the resulting neutralized solution to form said aqueous slurry type explosive.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method of claim 26 wherein said aqueous nitric acid contains from 55 to 75 weight percent HNO3.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
126 words
A method for the manufacture of an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol mononitrate and a salt for incorporation into a salt type explosive of the aqueous slurry type as aqueous solution phase therefor, comprising passing gaseous ethylene oxide through a body of aqueous nitric acid containing from 55-75 weight percent HNO3, in an HNO3:ethylene oxide stoichiometric excess weight ratio up to about 2:1, whereby said ethylene oxide and said HNO3 react to form ethylene glycol mononitrate and a total resulting aqueous solution of same with excess HNO3; introducing at least one of ammonia, and alkylamiNe and an alkanolamine into said total aqueous solution to neutralize said excess HNO3 and thereby from an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol mononitrate and said salt as said aqueous solution phase.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3523808A
Cited
US3507721A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-04-04 | 1975-10-04 | 1976-04-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-04-04 | 1979-10-04 | 1980-04-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-04-04 | 1983-10-04 | 1984-04-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |