Calcium nitrate explosive composition

Claim 2

AN EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION WHICH COMPRISES, AT LEAST ABOUT 50 PERCENT, AS PERCENT BY WEIGHT, OF THE FOLLOWING MIXTURE: A. FROM ABOUT 51 TO ABOUT 85 PERCENT OF INORGANIC OXIDIZING SALTS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AMMONIUM NITRATE AND CALCIUM NITRATE WHEREIN CALCIUM NITRATE CONSISTS OF FROM ABOUT 53 TO ABOUT 95 PERCENT OF SAID INORGANIC OXIDIZING SALTS, B. FROM ABOUT 9 TO ABOUT 35 PERCENT OF AT LEAST ONE WATER MISCIBLE ORGANIC FUEL, AND C. FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 21 PERCENT OF WATER, SAID COMPOSITION HAVING AN OXYGEN BALANCE RANGING FROM ABOUT +20 GRAMS TO ABOUT -8 GRAMS OF OXYGEN PER 100 GRAMS OF SAID MIXTURE SAID WEIGHT RATIO OF SAID WATER MISCIBLE ORGANIC FUEL TO CALCIUM NITRATE IN SAID MIXTURE RANGING FROM ABOUT 0.80 TO ABOUT 0.20 AND SUFFICIENT GASEOUS VOIDS INCORPORATED IN SAID MIXTURE TO PROVIDE A BULK DENSITY RANGING FROM ABOUT 0.80 TO 1.40 GM/CC.

Claim 3

The explosive composition of claim 1 including in addition up to about 50 percent of at least one sensitizer or fuel in addition to said water miscible organic fuel wherein each of components (a), (b) and (c) is proportionately decreased by the amount of said second sensitizer or fuel.

Claim 4

The explosive composition of claim 1 including in addition particulate aluminum.

Claim 5

The explosive composition of claim 1 including in addition particulate magnesium.

Claim 6

The explosive composition of claim 1 including in addition paint grade aluminum.

Claim 7

The explosive composition of claim 1 including in addition small void containing plastic spheres as a density control agent.

Claim 8

The explosive composition of claim 1 containing sufficient water and water miscible organic fuel to dissolve substantially all the inorganic oxidizing salts at room temperature.

Claim 9

The explosive composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the water miscible organic fuel is at least one of ethylene glycol, formamide, propylene glycol, methanol, ethanol, glycerol or diethylene glycol.

Claim 10

The explosive composition as dEfined in claim 1 including in addition at least one of a gelling or thickening agent.

Claim 11

The explosive composition as defined in claim 1 including in addition a cellulosic thickening agent.

Claim 12

The explosive composition as defined in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the water miscible organic fuel consists of formamide.

Claim 13

The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein at least about 50 percent by weight of the organic fuel is formamide.

Claim 14

The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein the oxygen balance of the mixture ranges from about 0 to about +15 grams of oxygen per 100 grams of mixture.

Claim 15

An explosive composition which comprises at least about 70 percent by weight of the following mixture: a. a mixture of inorganic oxidizing salts consisting essentially of calcium nitrate and ammonium nitrate wherein said calcium nitrate ranges in amount from about 53 to about 85 percent of said inorganic oxidizing salts; b. At least one water miscible organic fuel selected from the group consisting of formamide, ethylene glycol, methanol, ethanol, glycerol, diethylene glycol or propylene glycol; c. water, said component (a) ranging from about 55 to about 75 percent of the total of components (a), (b) and (c), said component (b) ranges from about 10 to about 27 percent by weight of the total components (a), (b) and (c) and said component (c) ranges from about 7 to about 20 percent by weight of the total of components (a), (b) and (c), said mixture has an oxygen balance ranging from about +20 to about -8 grams of oxygen per 100 grams of mixture, and the weight ratio of said water miscible organic fuel to calcium nitrate ranges from about 0.20 to about 0.80; d. small gaseous voids dispersed throughout said explosive composition in an amount sufficient to provide a bulk density ranging from about 0.80 to about 1.4 gm/cc.; and e. a member selected from the group consisting of a thickening or gelling agent.

Claim 16

An explosive composition which comprises at least about 70 percent by weight of the following mixture: a. a mixture of inorganic oxidizing salts consisting essentially of calcium nitrate and ammonium nitrate wherein said calcium nitrate ranges in amount from about 53 to about 85 percent of said inorganic oxidizing salts; b. At least one water miscible organic fuel selected from the group consisting of formamide, ethylene glycol, methanol, ethanol, glycerol, diethylene glycol or propylene glycol; c. water, said component (a) ranging from about 55 to about 75 percent of the total of components (a), (b) and (c), said component (b) ranges from about 10 to about 27 percent by weight of the total components (a), (b) and (c) and said component (c) ranges from about 7 to about 20 percent by weight of the total of components (a), (b) and (c), said mixture has an oxygen balance ranging from about +20 to about -8 grams of oxygen per 100 grams of mixture, and the weight ratio of said water miscible organic fuel to calcium nitrate ranges from about 0.20 to about 0.80; d. small gaseous voids dispersed throughout said explosive composition in an amount sufficient to provide a bulk density ranging from about 0.80 to about 1.4 gm/cc.; and e. a member selected from the group consisting of a thickening or gelling agent.

Claim 17

The explosive composition of claim 14 including in addition paint grade aluminum in an amount ranging from about 2 to about 10 percent.

Claim 18

The explosive composition of claim 14 wherein said gaseous voids are small void containing plastic spheres.

Claim 19

The explosive composition of claim 14 including sufficient water and water miscible organic fuel to dissolve substantially all the inorganic oxidizing salts at room temperature.

Claim 20

The explosive composition of claim 14 wherein the organic fuel consists of at least about 50 percent by weight of formamide.

Claim 21

The explosive composition of claim 18 wherein the oxygen balance ranges from about 0 to about +15 grams of oxygen per 100 grams of mixture.

Claim 22

An explosive composition which comprises: a. from about 55 to about 75 percent of inorganic oxidizing salts consisting essentially of from about 15 to about 47 percent ammonium nitrate and from about 53 to about 85 percent calcium nitrate; b. from about 10 to about 27 percent of at least one water miscible organic fuel consisting essentially of at least about 50 percent of formamide in admixture with ethylene glycol, methanol, glycerol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol or ethanol; and c. from about 7 to about 20 percent of water, said composition having an oxygen balance ranging from about +20 to about -8 grams of oxygen per 100 grams of mixture and having a weight ratio of organic fuel to calcium nitrate ranging from about 0.30 to about 0.70.

Claim 23

An explosive composition which comprises: a. from about 55 to about 75 percent of inorganic oxidizing salts consisting essentially of from about 15 to about 47 percent ammonium nitrate and from about 53 to about 85 percent calcium nitrate; b. from about 10 to about 27 percent of at least one water miscible organic fuel consisting essentially of at least about 50 percent of formamide in admixture with ethylene glycol, methanol, glycerol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol or ethanol; and c. from about 7 to about 20 percent of water, said composition having an oxygen balance ranging from about +20 to about -8 grams of oxygen per 100 grams of mixture and having a weight ratio of organic fuel to calcium nitrate ranging from about 0.30 to about 0.70.

Claim 24

The explosive composition of claim 20 including in addition a thickening or gelling agent.

Claim 25

The explosive composition of claim 20 containing sufficient water and water miscible organic fuel to dissolve substantially all the inorganic oxidizing salts at room temperature.

Claim 26

The explosive compOsition of claim 20 containing in addition sufficient gaseous voids to provide a bulk density in said mixture ranging from about 0.80 to about 1.4 gm/cc.