Composition for forming an explosive comprising an emulsion of hydrogen peroxide and an oil type fuel

Abstract

A composition for forming a hydrogen peroxide based emulsion explosive which composition comprises: an oxidizer-phase comprising at least 35% by weight of hydrogen peroxide and at least 25% by weight of water, a fuel-phase comprising at least one primary oil type fuel with a flash point below 100° C. and at least one secondary oil type fuel with a flash point over 150° C. and at least one emulsifier, wherein the oxidizer-phase is discontinuously dispersed throughout the continuous fuel-phase. A method of preparing an emulsion type explosive composition is also disclosed.

1 . A composition for forming a hydrogen peroxide based emulsion explosive which composition comprises;
 an oxidizer-phase comprising at least 35% by weight of hydrogen peroxide and at least 25% by weight of water,   a fuel-phase comprising at least one primary oil type fuel with a flash point below 100° C. and at least one secondary oil type fuel with a flash point over 150° C., and   at least one emulsifier, wherein the oxidizer-phase is discontinuously dispersed throughout the continuous fuel-phase.   
     
     
         2 . A composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sensitizer, whereby the composition forms a sensitized emulsion explosive. 
     
     
         3 . A composition according to  claim 2 , further comprising a gassing agent which is arranged to form the sensitizer in the form of gas bubbles through a chemical reaction. 
     
     
         4 . A composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the sensitizer comprises mechanically added enclosed hollow microspheres or -balloons. 
     
     
         5 . A composition according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one primary oil type fuel comprises at least one oil selected from the group consisting of mineral oils, kerosene oils, synthetic kerosene oils, naphtha oils, synthetic oils, bio oils, gasoline oils, diesel oils, synthetic diesel oils, line seed oils and neatsfoot oils. 
     
     
         6 . A composition according to  claim 1  wherein the first oil type fuel with flash point under 100° C. constitutes between 0.1 to 10% by weight of the composition. 
     
     
         7 . A composition to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel phase further comprises at least one oil type fuel with a viscosity of at least 50 cP at 15° C. to increase the emulsion composition viscosity. 
     
     
         8 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the secondary oil type fuel is selected from the group of mineral oils, petroleum oils, aromatic oils, bio-oils, synthetic fuel oils, diesel oils, lubrication oils, kerosene oils, naphtha oils, paraffin oils, lubrication oils, chlorinated paraffin oils, micro benzene oils, toluene oil, polymeric oils, rapeseed oils, coconut oils, silicone oils and fish oils. 
     
     
         9 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel-phase further comprises at least one wax selected from the group consisting of microcrystalline wax, paraffin wax, animal wax, plant wax, montan wax, polyethylene wax and polyethylene derivative wax. 
     
     
         10 . A composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising a grease lubricant in the form of a solid or semifluid dispersion of a thickener in oil. 
     
     
         11 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of: Polyisobutylene succinic anhydride (PIBSA), PIBSA amine derivatives, Polyisobutenyl succinic acid anhydride (PIBDIBA), PIBDIBA derivates, PIB-lactone and its amino derivatives, Sorbitan monooleate (SMO), sorbitan sesquioleate, lecithin, alkoxylates, esters combinations, fatty amines, alkyloxazolines, alkenyloxazolines, imidazolines, alkyl-sulfonates, alkylarylsulfonates, alkylsulfosuccinates, alkylphosphates, alkenylphosphates, phosphate esters and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         12 . A composition according to  claim 1  wherein the apparent viscosity of the composition is between 35 000 and 120 000 centipoise (cP). 
     
     
         13 . A composition according to  claim 2  wherein the density of the sensitized emulsion explosive is between 0.4-1.25 grams per cm 3 . 
     
     
         14 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel phase comprises at least one oil having no more than 18 carbon atoms in the molecular structure, preferably 10 to 18 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         15 . A method of preparing an emulsion type explosive composition, which method comprises:
 providing an oxidizer-phase comprising at least 35% by weight of hydrogen peroxide and at least 25% by weight of water,   providing a fuel-phase comprising at least one primary oil type fuel with a flash point below 100° C. and at least one secondary oil type fuel with a flash point over 150° C.,   providing at least one emulsifier,   forming an emulsion comprising the oxidizer-phase, the fuel-phase and the emulsifier, in which emulsion the oxidizer-phase is discontinuously dispersed throughout the continuous fuel-phase, and   sensitizing the emulsion by adding gas filled compressible solid micro-balloons, and/or by generating gas bubbles by means of a gassing agent and/or by adding gas bubbles to the emulsion.