Patent US4274893A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4274893A
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High temperature two component explosive
Assignee: Rocket Research Co
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Filing: 1979-03-26
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Granted: 1981-06-23
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Expires: 1999-03-26
Abstract
Abstract A two component, high temperature, thermally stable explosive composition comprises a liquid or low melting oxidizer and a liquid or low melting organic fuel. The oxidizer and fuel in admixture are incapable of substantial spontaneous exothermic reaction at temperatures on the order of 475° K. At temperatures on the order of 475° K., the oxidizer and fuel in admixture have an activation energy of at least about 40 kcal/mol. As a result of the high activation energy, the preferred explosive compositions are nondetonable as solids at ambient temperature, and become detonable only when heated beyond the melting point. Preferable oxidizers are selected from alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, nitrites, perchlorates, and/or mixtures thereof. Preferred fuels are organic compounds having polar hydrophilic groups. The most preferred fuels are guanidinium nitrate, acetamide and mixtures of the two. Most preferred oxidizers are eutectic mixtures of lithium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate, of sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate, and of potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate.
Inventors
- 👤 James E. Mars
- 👤 Donald R. Poole
- 👤 Eckart W. Schmidt
- 👤 Charles Wang
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 06:46
CPC Classifications
C; C06; C06B; C06B47/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 64
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
A high temperature, thermally stable explosive composition comprising: a low melting oxidizer selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, nitrites, perchlorates and mixtures thereof, a liquid or low melting organic fuel, said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture being thermally stable at temperatures on the order of 475° K. and having a relatively high energy of activation at temperatures on the order of 475° K.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
72 words
A high temperature, thermally stable explosive composition comprising: a low melting oxidizer selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, nitrites, perchlorates and mixtures thereof, a liquid or low melting organic fuel, said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture being thermally stable at temperatures on the order of 475° K. and having a relatively high energy of activation at temperatures on the order of 475° K.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture are thermally stable at temperatures on the order of 500° K.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture have an energy of activation of at least 40 kcal/mol at temperatures on the order of 475° K.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture do not spontaneously exothermically react at a temperature of about 500° K.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein said oxidizer and said fuel are miscible.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein said fuel contains polar hydrophilic groups.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The explosive composition of claim 6 wherein said polar hydrophilic groups are selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, carboxy, carboxy ester, imido, amido, sulfone, sulfoxy, guanidinium, carboxy acid ester, ether and nitrile groups.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein said oxidizer and said fuel are at least partially immiscible, said explosive composition further comprising a gelling agent to inhibit separation of said oxidizer and said fuel upon standing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The explosive composition of claim 8 wherein said gelling agent is fumed silica.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The explosive composition of claims 1, 5 or 8 further comprising a metal powder added to said oxidizer and to said fuel to increase the heat of explosion thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The explosive composition of claim 10 further comprising a gelling agent to prevent the metal powder from separating upon standing.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
The explosive composition of claim 11 wherein said gelling agent is fumed silica.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The explosive composition of claims 1, 5 or 8 further comprising glass or quartz microballoons to enhance detonability under high pressure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The explosive composition of claim 13 further comprising a gelling agent to maintain said microballoons in suspension.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
The explosive composition of claim 14 wherein said gelling agent is fumed silica.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein said oxidizer is selected from low melting mixtures of the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
The explosive composition of claim 1 wherein said oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of a eutectic mixture of lithium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sodium nitrate; a eutectic mixture of sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate; and a eutectic mixture of potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
44 words
The explosive composition of claim 17 wherein said oxidizer further comprises up to about 30% by weight based on the initial oxidizer present in said explosive composition of a member of the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The explosive composition of claims 3, 4, 5, 8, 16, 17 or 18 wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of acetamide, guanidinium nitrate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
42 words
The explosive composition of claim 19 wherein said fuel comprises a mixture of from 70% to 99% of guanidinium nitrate and from 1% to 30% acetamide, the weight percentages being based on the total amount of fuel present in said explosive composition.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
55 words
The explosive composition of claim 19 wherein said oxidizer is a eutectic mixture of sodium, potassium, and calcium nitrates, and said fuel is a mixture of about 70% by weight of guanidinium nitrate and about 30% by weight acetamide, said weight percentages herein based upon the total amount of fuel present in said explosive composition.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
45 words
The explosive composition of claim 21 wherein said oxidizer comprises about 58.7% by weight of the total oxidizer and fuel present in said explosive composition and wherein said fuel comprises about 41.3% by weight of the total oxidizer and fuel present in said explosive composition.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
32 words
The explosive composition of claim 22 further comprising sodium perchlorate present in an amount up to about 30% by weight based on the inital amount of oxidizer present in said explosive composition.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
84 words
The explosive composition of claims 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 16, 17 or 18 wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of formamide, N,N-dimethyl formamide, N-methyl acetamide, N,N-dimethyl acetamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, melamine, a mixture of melamine and guanidinium nitrate, a mixture of melamine and acetamide, a mixture of melamine and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, pentaerythritol, tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, diphenyl ether, diphenyl sulfone, diphenyl sulfoxide, triphenyl phosphate, polyphenyl ether, phthalic anhydride, phthalimide, phthalonitrile, phthalocyanine, a mixture of phthalonitrile and phthalocyanine, dimethylphthalate, dibutyl phthalate, triacetin, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
The explosive of claims 1, 17 or 18, wherein said explosive composition is a solid and is nondetonable at ambient temperatures and is detonable when heated to temperatures above the melting point of said composition.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for emplacing an explosive in a borehole comprising the steps of: separately passing a low melting oxidizer and a liquid or low melting organic fuel down said borehole, said oxidizer being selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, perchlorates and mixtures thereof, said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture being thermally stable at temperatures on the order of 475° K. and having a relatively high energy of activation at temperatures on the order of 475° K., mixing said oxidizer and said fuel downhole to form a detonable mixture, and detonating said mixture.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for emplacing an explosive in a borehole comprising the steps of: separately passing a low melting oxidizer and a liquid or low melting organic fuel down said borehole, said oxidizer being selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, perchlorates and mixtures thereof, said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture being thermally stable at temperatures on the order of 475° K. and having a relatively high energy of activation at temperatures on the order of 475° K., mixing said oxidizer and said fuel downhole to form a detonable mixture, and detonating said mixture.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 26, wherein said oxidizer and said fuel are separately pumped down said borehole.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 26, wherein said oxidizer and said fuel are placed in containers aboveground and passed separately down said borehole.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 26, wherein said borehole communicates with a geothermal formation.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 26, wherein the reaction products formed by detonation of said mixture are alkaline, the method further comprising the step of allowing said products to remain in said geothermal formation for a substantial period of time after said mixture is detonated.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 26, wherein a container having at least one conical indentation is first emplaced in said borehole, said oxidizer and said fuel then being separately passed down said borehole and mixed in said container before detonation.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for emplacing an explosive in a borehole comprising the steps of: mixing and melting a liquid or low melting organic fuel and a low melting oxidizer to form a mixture, said oxidizer being selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, perchlorates and mixtures thereof, said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture being thermally stable at temperatures on the order of 475° K. and having a relatively high energy of activation at temperatures on the order of 475° K., allowing said mixture to solidify to form a solid, nondetonable, material, passing said material down said borehole wherein indigenous heat remelts said mixture to form a detonable composition.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for emplacing an explosive in a borehole comprising the steps of: mixing and melting a liquid or low melting organic fuel and a low melting oxidizer to form a mixture, said oxidizer being selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, perchlorates and mixtures thereof, said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture being thermally stable at temperatures on the order of 475° K. and having a relatively high energy of activation at temperatures on the order of 475° K., allowing said mixture to solidify to form a solid, nondetonable, material, passing said material down said borehole wherein indigenous heat remelts said mixture to form a detonable composition.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said borehole communicates with a geothermal formation.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 32, wherein the reaction products formed by detonation of said mixture are alkaline, the method further comprising allowing said products to remain in said geothermal formation for a substantial period of time after said mixture is detonated.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said material is placed in a container having at least one conical indentation, and then passed down said borehole in said container.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of using an explosive composition comprising the steps of combining a low melting oxidizer and a liquid or low melting organic fuel to form a detonable mixture, said oxidizer being selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, perchlorates and mixtures thereof, said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture being thermally stable at temperatures on the order of 475° K. and having a relatively high energy of activation at temperatures on the order of 475° K., allowing the temperature of said mixture to rise to greater than 475° K., and detonating said mixture.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of using an explosive composition comprising the steps of combining a low melting oxidizer and a liquid or low melting organic fuel to form a detonable mixture, said oxidizer being selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, alkali or alkaline earth metal nitrates, perchlorates and mixtures thereof, said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture being thermally stable at temperatures on the order of 475° K. and having a relatively high energy of activation at temperatures on the order of 475° K., allowing the temperature of said mixture to rise to greater than 475° K., and detonating said mixture.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
50 words
A high temperature, thermally stable explosive composition comprising a low melting oxidizer in admixture with liquid or low melting organic fuel, said oxidizer and fuel being incapable of substantial, spontaneous exothermic reaction at temperatures on the order of 475° K., and having an activation energy of at least 40 kcal/mol.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
50 words
A high temperature, thermally stable explosive composition comprising a low melting oxidizer in admixture with liquid or low melting organic fuel, said oxidizer and fuel being incapable of substantial, spontaneous exothermic reaction at temperatures on the order of 475° K., and having an activation energy of at least 40 kcal/mol.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
48 words
The explosive composition of claim 37 wherein said oxidizer and said fuel in admixture are incapable of substantial, spontaneous, exothermic reaction at temperatures on the order of 500° K. and have an activation energy at temperatures on the order of 500° K. of at least about 40 kcal/mol.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture have an energy of activation of at least 40 kcal/mol at temperatures on the order of 475° K.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture do not spontaneously exothermically react at a temperature of about 500° K.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said oxidizer is selected from low melting mixtures of the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of a eutectic mixture of lithium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sodium nitrate; a eutectic mixture of sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, and potassium nitrate; and a eutectic mixture of potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, and sodium nitrate.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said oxidizer further comprises up to about 30% by weight based on the initial oxidizer present in said explosive composition of a member of the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 41 wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of acetamide, guanidinium nitrate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 42 wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of acetamide, guanidinium nitrate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 32 wherein said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture have an energy of activation of at least 40 kcal/mol at temperatures on the order of 475° K.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 32 wherein said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture do not spontaneously exothermically react at a temperature of about 500° K.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 32 wherein said oxidizer is selected from low melting mixtures of the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium perchlorate and mixtures thereof.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 32 wherein said oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of a eutectic mixture of lithium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sodium nitrate; a eutectic mixture of sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, and potassium nitrate; and a eutectic mixture of potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, and sodium nitrate.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 32 wherein said oxidizer further comprises up to about 30% by weight based on the initial oxidizer present in said explosive composition of a member of the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 48 wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of acetamide, guanidinium nitrate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 49 wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of acetamide, guanidinium nitrate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 36 wherein said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture have an energy of activation of at least 40 kcal/mol at temperatures on the order of 475° K.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 36 wherein said fuel and said oxidizer in admixture do not spontaneously exothermically react at a temperature of about 500° K.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 36 wherein said oxidizer is selected from low melting mixtures of the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 36 wherein said oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of a eutectic mixture of lithium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sodium nitrate; a eutectic mixture of sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, and potassium nitrate; and a eutectic mixture of potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, and sodium nitrate.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 36 wherein said oxidizer further comprises up to about 30% by weight based on the initial oxidizer present in said explosive composition of a member of the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 55 wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of acetamide, guanidinium nitrate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 56 wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of acetamide, guanidinium nitrate, and mixtures thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4134780A
Cited
US4128442A
Cited
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