USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

George P Chambers

Raafat H Guirguis

Harold W Sandusky

William H Wilson

A method for desensitizing explosives illicitly manufactured from commercial fertilizers, preferably ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate prills are impregnated with microballoons which carry a desensitizing agent, preferably water. The microballoons are sufficiently small that they can be incorporated into the prills where they are not easily separated. Should the modified ammonium nitrate be used as a starting material for the manufacture of ANFO, the resulting ANFO exhibits a diminished explosive potential. The microballoons release their contents in response to a prompt shock wave which passes through the ANFO. The released water quenches the explosive reactions in AN/fuel compositions and curtails the explosive performance of the ANFO. Further, the microballoons are a benign additive having no adverse impact on the fertilizer itself, the plant material or the environment if it is instead used for its intended purpose as a fertilizer.

Method and composition for desensitizing the explosive performance of commercially available fertilizers

A reusable small-scale explosive testing apparatus has a structural member with a curved internal chamber, a head piece that inserts into the chamber, a cap to hold the head piece, a pressure-time gage, water to fill the chamber and a pressure release mechanism. The apparatus is used to test small amounts of explosive.

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La Plata, MD, United States of America

George P Chambers