Cap sensitive emulsions containing perchlorates and occluded air and method

Claim 2

A cap sensitive emulsion explosive composition having a continuous carbonaceous fuel phase and a discontinuous water phase containing dissolved inorganic nitrates and perchlorate, said composition consisting essentially of: (a) from about 3% to about 7% by weight of a carbonaceous fuel comprising at least about 2 weight percent wax, from about 0.5 to about 1.5 weight percent of an emulsifier, and from 0 to about 1.0 weight percent oil; (b) from about 14% to about 20% by weight water; (c) from about 56% to about 63% by weight ammonium nitrate; (d) from about 2% to about 12% by weight of another inorganic nitrate; (e) from about 3% to about 12% by weight of an inorganic perchlorate; and (f) a minor effective amount of occluded air to reduce the density of said composition to a level ranging from about 0.80 to less than about 1.0 g/cc at the time of manufacture.

Claim 3

The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein the inorganic nitrate of part (d) is selected from the group consisting of the alkali and alkaline earth metal nitrates.

Claim 4

The explosive composition of claim 2 wherein the other inorganic nitrate is sodium nitrate present in about 10% by weight of the total emulsion.

Claim 5

The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein the inorganic perchlorate is selected from the group consisting of the alkali and alkaline earth metal perchlorates.

Claim 6

The explosive composition of claim 4 wherein the inorganic perchlorate is selected from the group consisting of ammonium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate and potassium perchlorate.

Claim 7

The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein the amount of inorganic perchlorate ranges from about 4% to about 8% by weight of the total emulsion.

Claim 8

The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein the carbonaceous fuel comprises water immiscible emulsifiable material selected from the group consisting of petrolatum; microcrystalline, paraffin, mineral, animal and insect waxes; petroleum oils, vegetables oils, dinitrotoluene, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein the emuslifier is selected from the group consisting of those derivable from sorbitol by esterification with removal of one molecule of water such as sorbitan, fatty acid esters, for example, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan monopalmitate, sorbitan monostearate, and sorbitan tristearate; and mono- and diglycerides of fat-forming fatty acids, as well as polyoxyethylene sorbitol esters, such as polyethylene sorbitol beeswax derivative materials and polyoxyethylene(4)lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene(2)ether, polyoxyethylene(2)stearyl ether, polyoxyalkylene oleyl laurate, oleyl acid phosphate, substituted oxazolines and phosphate esters, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 10

The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein the density at the time of manufacture ranges from about 0.90 to about 0.95 g/cc.

Claim 11

The explosive composition of claim 1 additionally including up to about 5% sulfur, by weight of the total emulsion.

Claim 12

An emulsion explosive composition detonable at ambient conditions by a standard No. 8 blasting cap in a cartridge diameter of 1.25 inches and containing a continuous carbonaceous fuel phase and a discontinuous water phase having inorganic nitrates and perchlorate dissolved therein, said composition consisting essentially of: (a) from about 3% by weight of a carbonaceous fuel comprising at least 2 weight percent wax, from about 0.5 to about 1.5 weight percent of an emulsifier, and from 0 to about 1.0 weight percent oil; (b) from about 14% to about 20% by weight water; (c) from about 56% to about 63% by weight ammonium nitrate; (d) from about 2% to about 12% by weight of another inorganic nitrate; (e) from about 3% to about 12% weight of an inorganic perchlorate; and (f) a minor effective amount of occluded air to reduce the density of said composition to a level ranging from about 0.80 to less than about 1.0 q/cc at the time of manufacture.

Claim 13

An emulsion explosive composition detonable at ambient conditions by a standard No. 8 blasting cap in a cartridge diameter of 1.25 inches and containing a continuous carbonaceous fuel phase and a discontinuous water phase having inorganic nitrates and perchlorate dissolved therein, said composition consisting essentially of: (a) from about 3% by weight of a carbonaceous fuel comprising at least 2 weight percent wax, from about 0.5 to about 1.5 weight percent of an emulsifier, and from 0 to about 1.0 weight percent oil; (b) from about 14% to about 20% by weight water; (c) from about 56% to about 63% by weight ammonium nitrate; (d) from about 2% to about 12% by weight of another inorganic nitrate; (e) from about 3% to about 12% weight of an inorganic perchlorate; and (f) a minor effective amount of occluded air to reduce the density of said composition to a level ranging from about 0.80 to less than about 1.0 q/cc at the time of manufacture.

Claim 14

The explosive composition of claim 11 wherein the inorganic nitrate of pair (d) is selected from the group consisting of the alkali and alkaline earth metal nitrates.

Claim 15

The explosive composition of claim 12 wherein the other inorganic nitrate is sodium nitrate present in about 10% by weight of the total emulsion.

Claim 16

The explosive composition of claim 11 wherein the inorganic perchlorate is selected from the group consisting of the alkali and alkaline earth metal perchlorates.

Claim 17

The explosive composition of claim 14 wherein the inorganic perchlorate is selected from the group consisting of ammonium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate and potassium perchlorate.

Claim 18

The explosive composition of claim 12 wherein the amount of inorganic perchlorate ranges from about 4% to about 8% by weight of the total emulsion.

Claim 19

The explosive composition of claim 11 wherein the carbonaceous fuel comprises water immisable emulsifiable material selected from the group consisting of petrolatum; microcrystalline, paraffin, mineral, animal and insect waxes; petroleum oils, vegetable oils, dinitrotoluene, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 20

The explosive composition of claim 11 wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of those derivable from sorbitol by esterification with removal of one molecule of water such as sorbitan, fatty acid esters, for example, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan monopalmitate, sorbitan monostearate, and sorbitan tristearate; and mono- and diglycerides of fat-forming fatty acids, as well as polyoxyethylene sorbitol esters, such as polyethylene sorbitol beeswax derivative materials and polyoxyethylene(4)lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene(2)ether, polyoxyethylene(2)stearyl ether, polyoxyalkylene oleyl laurate, oleyl acid phosphate, substituted oxazolines and phosphate esters, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 21

The explosive composition of claim 11 wherein the density at the time of manufacture ranges from about 0.90 g/cc to about 0.95 g/cc.

Claim 22

The explosive composition of claim 1 additionally including up to about 5% sulfur, by weight of the total emulsion.

Claim 23

In a process for making an emulsion explosive composition having a continuous carbonaceous fuel phase and a discontinuous water phase that is detonable at ambient conditions by a standard No. 8 blasting cap in a cartridge diameter of 1.25 inches, said composition consisting essentially of from about 3% to about 7% by weight of a carbonaceous fuel, from about 14% to about 20% by weight water, from about 2% to about 12% by weight of an inorganic nitrate other than ammonium nitrate, from about 56% to about 63% by weight ammonium nitrate, from about 3% to about 12% by weight of an inorganic perchlorate, and occluded air, the improvement comprising occluding sufficient air within the composition so that its density at the time of manufacture ranges from about 0.80 to less than about 1.0 g/cc.

Claim 24

In a process for making an emulsion explosive composition having a continuous carbonaceous fuel phase and a discontinuous water phase that is detonable at ambient conditions by a standard No. 8 blasting cap in a cartridge diameter of 1.25 inches, said composition consisting essentially of from about 3% to about 7% by weight of a carbonaceous fuel, from about 14% to about 20% by weight water, from about 2% to about 12% by weight of an inorganic nitrate other than ammonium nitrate, from about 56% to about 63% by weight ammonium nitrate, from about 3% to about 12% by weight of an inorganic perchlorate, and occluded air, the improvement comprising occluding sufficient air within the composition so that its density at the time of manufacture ranges from about 0.80 to less than about 1.0 g/cc.

Claim 25

The product made according to the process of claim 21.

Claim 26

The process of claim 21 wherein the density at the time of manufacture ranges from about 0.90 g/cc to about 0.95 g/cc.

Claim 27

The product made according to the process of claim 23.

Claim 28

The process of claim 21 including the further step of allowing the composition to age for more than 24 hours after removal from the emulsifier.

Claim 29

The product made according to the process of claim 25.

Claim 30

The process of claim 25 wherein the density of the explosive composition increases to a level greater than 1.0 g/cc during aging.

Claim 31

The product made according to the process of claim 27.

Claim 32

A process for making an emulsion explosion composition having a continuous carbonaceous fuel phase and a discontinuous water phase that is detonable by a standard No. 8 blasting cap in a cartridge diameter of 1.25 inches comprising: (a) combining from about 14% to about 20% water, from about 2% to about 12% of an inorganic nitrate other than ammonium nitrate, from about 56% to about 63% ammonium nitrate, and from about 3% to about 12% of an inorganic perchlorate in a first premix, by weight of the total composition; (b) combining at least about 2% wax, from about 0.5% to about 1.5% of an emulsifier, and from 0 to about 1.0% oil, by weight of the total composition, in a second premix; (c) blending the two premixes together in a mixer; and (d) occluding sufficient air within the composition thus formed so as to achieve a density ranging from about 0.80 to less than about 1.0 g/cc.

Claim 33

A process for making an emulsion explosion composition having a continuous carbonaceous fuel phase and a discontinuous water phase that is detonable by a standard No. 8 blasting cap in a cartridge diameter of 1.25 inches comprising: (a) combining from about 14% to about 20% water, from about 2% to about 12% of an inorganic nitrate other than ammonium nitrate, from about 56% to about 63% ammonium nitrate, and from about 3% to about 12% of an inorganic perchlorate in a first premix, by weight of the total composition; (b) combining at least about 2% wax, from about 0.5% to about 1.5% of an emulsifier, and from 0 to about 1.0% oil, by weight of the total composition, in a second premix; (c) blending the two premixes together in a mixer; and (d) occluding sufficient air within the composition thus formed so as to achieve a density ranging from about 0.80 to less than about 1.0 g/cc.

Claim 34

The product made according to the process of claim 29.

Claim 35

The process of claim 29 wherein the two premixes are separately heated prior to emulsification.

Claim 36

The product made according to the process of claim 31.

Claim 37

The process of claim 29 wherein the first premix is heated until the salts are completely dissolved.

Claim 38

The process of claim 33 wherein the first premix is heated to a temperature ranging from about 120 to about 205 degrees F.

Claim 39

The process of claim 29 wherein the second premix is heated until the carbonaceous fuel has liquefied.

Claim 40

The process of claim 35 wherein the second premix is heated to a temperature greater than about 120 degrees F.

Claim 41

The process of claim 29 wherein the density at the time of manufacture ranges from about 0.90 g/cc to about 0.95 g/cc.

Claim 42

The product made according to the process of claim 37.

Claim 43

The process of claim 29 including the additional step of allowing the composition to age for a period of more than 24 hours between manufacture and use.

Claim 44

The product made according to the process of claim 39.

Claim 45

The process of claim 39 wherein the density of the explosive composition increases to a level greater than about 1.0 glcc.

Claim 46

The product made according to the process of claim 41.