Emulsion-type explosives of the water-in-oil type

Abstract

An explosive emulsion composition of the water-in-oil type, comprising: between 80 wt. % and 95 wt. % of an oxidizer phase in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, comprising at least 40 wt. % of ammonium nitrate (AN), and at least 5 wt. % of a secondary nitrate salt, in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition, and between 5 wt. % and 20 wt. % of an organic phase in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, the organic phase comprising: between 12 wt. % and 50 wt. % of one or more emulsifiers, between 50 wt. % and 88 wt. % of a fuel composition, in view of the total weight of the organic phase composition, characterized in that the fuel composition comprises between 20 wt. % and 100 wt. % of a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), in view of the total weight of the fuel composition.

1 . An explosive emulsion composition of the water-in-oil type, comprising:
 between 80 wt. % and 95 wt. % of an oxidizer phase in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, comprising
 at least 40 wt. % of ammonium nitrate (AN), and 
 at least 5 wt. % of a secondary nitrate salt, 
   in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition, and   between 5 wt. % and 20 wt. % of an organic phase in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, the organic phase comprising:
 between 12 wt. % and 50 wt. % of one or more emulsifiers, 
 between 50 wt. % and 88 wt. % of a fuel composition, 
   in view of the total weight of the organic phase composition, characterized in that the fuel composition comprises between 20 wt. % and 100 wt. % of a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), in view of the total weight of the fuel composition.   
     
     
         2 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer phase comprises:
 at least 40 wt. % of the ammonium nitrate (AN), and   at least 10 wt. % of the secondary nitrate salt,   in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition.   
     
     
         3 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel composition comprises between 40 wt. % and 100 wt. % of the hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), in view of the total weight of the fuel composition. 
     
     
         4 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 3 , wherein the fuel composition consists of 100 wt. % of the hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), in view of the total weight of the fuel composition. 
     
     
         5 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel composition consists of
 between 20 wt. % and 80 wt. % of the hydrotreated vegetable oil and   between 20 wt. % and 80 wt. % of the non-renewable oil, particularly diesel,   in view of the total weight of the fuel composition.   
     
     
         6 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer phase comprises:
 at least 40 wt. % of the ammonium nitrate (AN), and   at least 10 wt. % of the sodium nitrate (SN),   in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition.   
     
     
         7 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the explosive emulsion composition has a viscosity between 10,000 cP and 35,000 cP, as measured with a Brookfield viscometer with spindle size 7 at a frequency of 20 rpm at 30° C. 
     
     
         8 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer phase comprises:
 at least 40 wt. % of the ammonium nitrate (AN), and   at least 10 wt. % of the calcium nitrate (CN),   in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition.   
     
     
         9 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 8 , wherein the explosive emulsion composition has a viscosity between 10,000 cP and 50,000 cP, as measured with a Brookfield viscometer with spindle size 7 at a frequency of 20 rpm at 30° C. 
     
     
         10 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel composition consists of
 between 20 wt. % and 80 wt. %, and   between 20 wt. % and 80 wt. % of a straight vegetable oil,   in view of the total weight of the fuel composition.   
     
     
         11 . The explosive composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the straight vegetable oil is chosen from soybean oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, maize oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, ricin oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, jatropha oil or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the oxidizer phase comprises:
 at least 40 wt. % of the ammonium nitrate (AN), and   at least 10 wt. % of the calcium nitrate (CN),   in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition.   
     
     
         13 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 12 , wherein the oxidizer phase comprises:
 at least 40 wt. % of the ammonium nitrate (AN), and   at least 20 wt. % of the calcium nitrate (CN),   in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition.   
     
     
         14 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the explosive emulsion composition comprises between 85 wt. % and 95 wt. % of the oxidizer phase and between 5 wt. % and 15 wt. % of the organic phase, both in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition. 
     
     
         15 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 14 , comprising between 90 wt. % and 95 wt. % of the oxidizer phase and between 5 wt. % and 10 wt. % of the organic phase, both in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition. 
     
     
         16 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 13 , wherein the explosive emulsion comprises between 2.5 wt. % and 6.5 wt. % of the fuel composition, in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition. 
     
     
         17 . The explosive composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer phase comprises between 5 wt. % and 20 wt. % of water, in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition. 
     
     
         18 . The explosive composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more emulsifiers are present in an amount of between 0.5 wt. % and 5.0 wt. %, in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition. 
     
     
         19 . The explosive composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more emulsifiers are from a renewable source. 
     
     
         20 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 between 85 wt. % and 95 wt. % of the oxidizer phase, in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, comprising:
 between 40 wt. % and 70 wt. % of the ammonium nitrate, 
 at least 15 wt. % of the secondary nitrate salt, wherein the secondary nitrate salt is chosen from calcium nitrate or sodium nitrate, and 
 between 10 wt. % and 20 wt. % of water, 
   in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition, and   between 5 wt. % and 15 wt. %, of the organic phase in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, the organic phase comprising
 between 12 wt. % and 50 wt. % of the one or more emulsifiers, 
 between 50 wt. % and 88 wt. % of the fuel composition, 
   in view of the total weight of the organic phase composition,   
       wherein the fuel composition comprises between 20 wt. % and 100 wt. % of the hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), in view of the total weight of the fuel composition, and wherein the explosive emulsion composition comprises less than 15 wt. % of water, in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition. 
     
     
         21 . A method of controlling or adjusting the viscosity and stability of an explosive emulsion composition, said emulsion composition comprising an oxidizer phase and an organic phase comprising a fuel composition, wherein the method comprises varying the concentration of a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in the fuel composition and varying the concentration of a secondary salt, in particular calcium nitrate in the oxidizer phase. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the emulsion composition comprises
 between 85 wt. % and 95 wt. % of the oxidizer phase, in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, comprising
 between 40 wt. % and 80 wt. % of ammonium nitrate, 
 at least 5 wt. % of the secondary nitrate salt; and 
   between 5 wt. % and 15 wt. % of the organic phase in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, the organic phase comprising
 between 12 wt. % and 50 wt. % of one or more emulsifiers, 
 between 50 wt. % and 88 wt. % of the fuel composition, 
   in view of the total weight of the organic phase composition,   wherein the fuel composition comprises
 between 20 wt. % and 100 wt. % of the hydrotreated renewable oil, and 
 between 0 wt. % and 80 wt. % of a straight vegetable oil, 
   in view of the total weight of the fuel composition.   
     
     
         23 . The explosive emulsion composition of  claim 1  wherein the ammonium nitrate (AN) is present in the oxidizer composition at a level of between 40 wt. % and 80 wt. %.