Main body of explosive composition

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention discloses an explosive material comprising a mix of a first quantity of explosive and a second quantity of explosive. The first quantity of explosive consists of a large particulate size explosive. The second quantity of explosive consists of a small particulate size explosive. The combination of the first and second quantity of explosives results in an explosive mixture having a density greater than either the first or second quantity of explosive. The explosive material is encapsulated within a bonding agent to form a pelletized explosive. The explosive material can be comprised of approximately 50% by weight of the first quantity of explosive and approximately 50% by weight of the second quantity of explosive.

1 . An explosive material comprising: 
 a first quantity of explosive admixed with a second quantity of explosive, said first quantity of explosive comprising particles having a larger diameter than the particles of said second quantity of explosive.    
     
     
         2 . The explosive material of  claim 1 , wherein the combination of said explosives produces an explosive mixture whose fixed volume has a density greater than 90% of the theoretical mean density of the explosive material.  
     
     
         3 . The explosive material of  claim 1  encapsulated within a bonding agent to form a pelletized explosive.  
     
     
         4 . The explosive material of  claim 1  whose pressed density is from approximately 96% to approximately 98% of its theoretical mean density.  
     
     
         5 . The explosive material of  claim 1 , wherein said first quantity of explosive is selected from the group consisting of HMX, PBX, TATB, PYX, HNS or DATB.  
     
     
         6 . The explosive material of  claim 1 , wherein said second quantity of explosive is selected from the group consisting of HMX, PBX, TATB, PYX, HNS or DATB.  
     
     
         7 . The explosive material of  claim 1 , where said first quantity of explosive consists of particles having a diameter that ranges from approximately 300 microns to approximately 45 microns.  
     
     
         8 . The explosive material of  claim 1 , where said first quantity of explosive consists of Class I explosive.  
     
     
         9 . The explosive material of  claim 1 , where said second quantity of explosive consists of particles having a diameter that ranges from approximately 5 microns to approximately 7 microns.  
     
     
         10 . The explosive material of  claim 1 , where said second quantity of explosive consists of Class V explosive.  
     
     
         11 . The explosive material of  claim 1 , where said second quantity of explosive has a distribution of particles such that 90% of the particles have a diameter of less than 10 microns.  
     
     
         12 . The explosive material of  claim 1  comprising approximately 50% by weight of said first quantity of explosive and approximately 50% by weight of said second quantity of explosive.  
     
     
         13 . The explosive material of  claim 1  comprising from approximately 25% to 75% by weight of said first quantity of explosive and from approximately 25% to 75% by weight of said second quantity of explosive.  
     
     
         14 . A shaped charge comprising: 
 a housing;    a liner; and    an explosive material positioned between said housing and said liner, said explosive material comprising a first quantity of explosive consisting of a large particulate size explosive admixed with a second quantity of explosive consisting of a small particulate size explosive such that the combination of said explosives produces an explosive mixture whose fixed volume has a density greater than said first quantity of explosive or said second quantity of explosive.    
     
     
         15 . The explosive material of  claim 14  encapsulated within a bonding agent to form a pelletized explosive.  
     
     
         16 . The explosive material of  claim 14  whose bulk density is from approximately 96% to approximately 98% of its theoretical mean density.  
     
     
         17 . The explosive material of  claim 14 , wherein said first quantity of explosive is selected from the group consisting of HMX, PBX, TATB, PYX, HNS or DATB.  
     
     
         18 . The explosive material of  claim 14 , wherein said second quantity of explosive is selected from the group consisting of HMX, PBX, TATB, PYX, HNS or DATB.  
     
     
         19 . The explosive material of  claim 14 , where said first quantity of explosive consists of particles having a diameter that ranges from approximately 300 microns to approximately 45 microns.  
     
     
         20 . The explosive material of  claim 14 , where said first quantity of explosive consists of Class I explosive.  
     
     
         21 . The explosive material of  claim 14 , where said second quantity of explosive consists of particles having a diameter that ranges from approximately 5 microns to approximately 7 microns.  
     
     
         22 . The explosive material of  claim 14 , where said second quantity of explosive consists of Class V explosive.  
     
     
         23 . The explosive material of  claim 14 , where said second quantity of explosive has a distribution of particles such that 90% of the particles have a diameter of less than 10 microns.  
     
     
         24 . The explosive material of  claim 14  comprising approximately 50% by weight of said first quantity of explosive and approximately 50% by weight of said second quantity of explosive.  
     
     
         25 . The explosive material of  claim 14  comprising from approximately 25% to 75% by weight of said first quantity of explosive and from approximately 25% to 75% by weight of said second quantity of explosive.  
     
     
         26 . A method of forming an explosive material comprising the steps of: 
 blending a first quantity of explosive of a large particulate size with a second quantity of explosive of a small particulate size to produce a blended explosive material whose fixed volume has a density greater than 90% of the theoretical mean density of the explosive material.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising mixing said blended explosive material with a fluid in a vessel to produce a slurry, heating the slurry to initiate an encapsulation process, adding an encapsulation agent to the slurry, mixing the slurry and encapsulation agent together, and terminating the nucleation process when granulated explosive pellets are formed whose diameter are approximately 1000 microns to approximately 2000 microns.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising blending said explosive material to produce a pressed density of from approximately 96% to approximately 98% of its theoretical mean density.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising blending 50% by weight of said first quantity of explosive and blending 50% by weight of said second quantity of explosive.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  where said first quantity of explosive consists of Class I explosive having particle sizes of approximately 45 to 300 microns and said second quantity of explosive consists of Class V explosives having particle sizes of approximately 5 to 7 microns.