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 composition comprising at least 40 wt. % of ammonium nitrate (AN), and at least 15 wt. % of calcium nitrate (CN), and optionally one or more other secondary nitrate salts, between 5 wt. % and 20 wt. % of an 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 straight vegetable oil (SVO), and wherein the explosive emulsion composition is stable and has a viscosity between 25,000 cP and 125,000 cP, as measured with a Brookfield viscometer with spindle size 7 at a frequency of 20 rpm at 30° C.

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), 
 at least 15 wt. % of calcium nitrate (CN), and optionally one or more other secondary nitrate salts, 
   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, and 
 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 straight vegetable oil (SVO), in view of the total weight of the fuel composition; and
 wherein the explosive emulsion composition is stable and has a viscosity between 25,000 cP and 125,000 cP, as measured with a Brookfield viscometer with spindle size 7 at a frequency of 20 rpm at 30° C. 
 
     
     
         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 25 wt. % of the calcium nitrate (CN) and optionally one or more of the other secondary nitrate salts, in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition.   
     
     
         3 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel composition consists of between 0 wt. % and 50 wt. % of a non-renewable oil and between 50 wt. % and 100 wt. % of one or more renewable oils, in view of the total weight of the fuel composition, wherein said one or more renewable oils comprises a straight vegetable oil. 
     
     
         4 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 3 , wherein the fuel composition consists of between 0 wt. % and 50 wt. % of the non-renewable oil, and between 50 wt. % and 100 wt. % of the straight vegetable oil, 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 100 wt. % of one or more renewable oils, in view of the total weight of the fuel composition, wherein said one or more renewable oils comprises a straight vegetable oil. 
     
     
         6 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 3 , wherein the one or more renewable oils is comprise the straight vegetable oil and, optionally, one or more oils chosen from a straight animal fat, a biofuel comprising bio-diesel, a recycled vegetable oil, a recycled animal fat and a hydrotreated renewable oil. 
     
     
         7 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 5 , wherein the fuel composition consists of 100% of the straight vegetable oil, in view of the total weight of the fuel composition. 
     
     
         8 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 5 , wherein the fuel composition consists of
 between 20 wt. % and 100 wt. % of the straight vegetable oil, and   between 0 wt. % and 80 wt. % of a biofuel,   
       in view of the total weight of the fuel composition. 
     
     
         9 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 8 , wherein the fuel composition consists of
 between 20 wt. % and 80 wt. % of the straight vegetable oil, and   between 20 wt. % and 80 wt. % of the biofuel,   
       in view of the total weight of the fuel composition, 
     
     
         10 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         11 . 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. 
     
     
         12 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the explosive emulsion composition comprises 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. 
     
     
         13 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 11 , 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. 
     
     
         14 . The explosive emulsion 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. 
     
     
         15 . The explosive emulsion 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. 
     
     
         16 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more emulsifiers are from a renewable source. 
     
     
         17 . The explosive emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the explosive emulsion comprises:
 between 85 wt. % and 95 wt. % of the oxidizer phase, in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, the aqueous oxidizer phase comprising
 between 40 wt. % and 65 wt. % AN, 
 between 25 wt. % and 50 wt. % CN, optionally, one or more of the other secondary nitrate salts, and 
 between 10 wt. % and 20 wt. % water, 
   in view of the total weight of the oxidizer 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, and 
 between 50 wt. % and 88 wt. % of the fuel composition, 
   in view of total weight of the organic phase composition,   wherein the fuel composition consists of (a) between 50 wt. % and 100 wt. % of the straight vegetable oil, and (b) between 0 wt. % and 50 wt. % of a non-renewable oil or a renewable oil chosen from a straight animal fat, a biofuel comprising bio-diesel, a recycled vegetable oil, a recycled animal fat or a hydrotreated renewable oil, in view of the total weight of the fuel composition,   
       wherein the explosive emulsion composition has a viscosity between 30,000 cP and 115,000 cP, as measured with a Brookfield viscometer with spindle size 7 at a frequency of 20 rpm at 30° C. 
     
     
         18 . The explosive emulsion composition of  claim 2  wherein the oxidizer phase comprises 40 to 75 wt % of AN and 25 to 50 wt % of CN. 
     
     
         19 . The explosive emulsion composition of  claim 3  wherein the fuel composition consists of 0 to 30 wt % of the non-renewable oil and 70 to 100 wt % of the one or more renewable oils. 
     
     
         20 . The explosive composition of  claim 4  wherein the renewable oil is diesel or white oil.