Slurry explosive composition

Claim 2

A slurry explosive composition comprising at least one inorganic oxidising salt, a liquid selected from the group consisting of solvents, dispersers and carriers for said salt and, as sensitising fuel, a liquid aliphatic mononitrate containing from 3 to 8 carbon atoms per molecule, said liquid mononitrate being emulsified with the said liquid by means of an emulsifier.

Claim 3

A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid aliphatic mononitrate comprises an alkyl mononitrate.

Claim 4

A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid aliphatic mononitrate is selected from the group consisting of n-propyl nitrate, isopropyl nitrate, amyl nitrate, hexyl nitrate and octyl nitrate.

Claim 5

A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said liquid solvent, disperser or carrier is selected from the group consisting of water, diethylene glycol, formamide, dimethyl formamide, dimethylsulphoxide and liquid mixtures containing at least one salt.

Claim 6

A composition as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said liquid mixtures each contain a salt selected from the group consisting of ammonium acetate, ammonium formate, methylamine nitrate and ethylenediamine dinitrate.

Claim 7

A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of (a) condensates of polyalkylene oxide with a compound selected from the group consisting of long chain alcohols containing 10 to 20 carbon atoms per molecule, alkyl phenols and alkyl phenol/formaldehyde resins in which phenols and resins the alkyl group contains 5 to 22 carbon atoms, amines and polyamines, said condensates containing from 4 to 100 alkylene oxide groups per molecule, (b) long chain amine oxides having a chain length of 8 to 24 carbon atoms and (c) alkyd condensates of polyethylene glycol with an acid selected from the group consisting of monocarboxylic acids and dicarboxylic acids in which condensates the Molecular Weight of the polyethylene glycol is in the range from 200 to 6,000.

Claim 8

A composition as claimed in claim 6 wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of condensates of polyethylene oxide with a compound selected from the group consisting of octylphenol and nonylphenol said condensates containing from 20 to 50 ethylene oxide groups per molecule, condensates of polyethylene oxide with lauryl alcohol containing from 15 to 30 ethylene oxide groups per molecule, N,N-dimethyl dodecylamine oxide, N,N-di(hydroxyethyl) dodecylamine oxide, bis(2-hydroxyethyl) cocoamine oxide, dimethyl cocoamine oxide and alkyd condensates of polyethylene glycol, an acid and an alcohol selected from the group consisting of dihydric- and polyhydric alcohols.

Claim 9

A composition as claimed in claim 6 comprising additionally a modifying surfactant to control the emulsion droplet size, said modifying surfactant being selected from the group consisting of long chain amines, ethoxylated amines, quaternary ammonium salts, long chain alkyl sulphate salts, alkylaryl sulphonic acid salts, lignosulphonates and long chain esters of alcohols selected from the group consisting of monohydric and polyhydric alcohols, and ethoxylated esters of alcohols selected from the group consisting of monohydric and polyhydric alcohols.

Claim 10

A composition as claimed in claim 8 wherein the modifying surfactant is selected from the group consisting of dodecylamine, N,N-di(hydroxyethyl) dodecylamine, cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, sodium dodecyl sulphate, sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate, sorbitan trioleate and sodium lignosulphonate.

Claim 11

A composition as claimed in claim 6 comprising additionally an emulsion stabiliser selected from the group consisting of long chain alcohols, polyalkylene oxide polymers, water-soluble cellulose ethers and starch ethers.

Claim 12

A composition as claimed in claim 10 wherein the emulsion stabiliser is selected from the group consisting of lauryl alcohol, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymers, methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose.

Claim 13

A composition as claimed in claim 1 comprising additionally a thickening agent selected from the group consisting of guar gum, hydroxypropylated guar gum, xanthan gum, starch, polyacrylamide and derivatives thereof, hydroxyethyl cellulose, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl alcohol, nitrocellulose, cellulose esters, polyacrylic esters, and copolymers of styrene and alkyl styrene with αβ-unsaturated dicarboxylic acids.

Claim 14

A composition as claimed in claim 12 wherein the thickening agent is crosslinked with a compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal chromates, alkali metal borates, titanium salts, potassium pyroantimonate, telluric acid and metal alkoxides.

Claim 15

A composition as claimed in claim 1 comprising an aeration agent selected from the group consisting of foaming surfactants, chemical gassing agents and hollow spheres.

Claim 16

A composition as claimed in claim 14 comprising sufficient voids to give the composition a density in the range 0.8 to 1.5 g/cc.

Claim 17

A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the oxidising salt is selected from the group consisting of nitrates and perchlorates of ammonia, sodium, potassium, barium, magnesium and calcium and mixtures containing at least two of the said salts.

Claim 18

A composition as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 4 to 20% by weight of liquid mononitrate, from 5 to 25% by weight of the said liquid, from 0.1 to 3.5% by weight of emulsifier, from 25 to 85% by weight of ammonium nitrate, from 0 to 35% by weight of oxidising salt other than ammonium nitrate and from 0 to 20% of solid fuel.

Claim 19

A composition as claimed in claim 17 wherein the solid fuel comprises metal powder.