Ireco Chemicals

Megabar Explosives Corporation

Ireco, Inc.

Harvey A Jessop

John A Peterson

M Taylor Abegg

Albert G Funk

Ronald F McCormick

Jay W Butler

Walter B Sudweeks

Ormond F Lavery

Ormand F Lavery

A new arrangement of matter is developed which can be formulated to be a high explosive, a propellant or a gas generator. The new arrangement of matter in its explosive embodiment is known as a eutectic microknit explosive (EMCX) in which an essentially anhydrous eutectic mixture of ammonium nitrate, soluble explosive, and other oxidizing salts is mixed with surfactants and organic fuels while the eutectic mixture is molten, and a microcrystalline property is created which imparts a hard, machinable characteristic to the arrangement of matter. The invention includes three processes for making MCX compositions; (1) dissolving surfactants, crystal-habit modifiers, thickeners or combinations into the molten eutectic mixture in a manner which permits supercooling with subsequent solidification; (2) forming an unstable oil-continuous emulsion as a preliminary step, followed by a controlled disruption of the oil-phase continuum which causes the composition to solidify after supercooling, and (3) retarding crystal nucleation in salt-continuous emulsions by introducing surfactants, thickeners, crystal-habit modifiers or combinations, along with immiscible fuels, resulting in supercooling and subsequent solidification to a hard composition.

Eutectic microknit composite explosives and processes for making same

A new arrangement of matter is developed which can be formulated to be a high explosive, a propellant or a gas generator. The new arrangement of matter in its explosive embodiment is known as a microknit composite explosive (MCX) in which an essentially anhydrous mixture of inorganic salts, surfactants and organic fuels is prepared while the oxidizer is molten, and a microcrystalline property is created which imparts a hard, machinable characteristic to the arrangement of matter. The invention includes three processes for making MCX compositions: (1) dissolving surfactants, crystal-habit modifiers, thickeners or combinations into the molten oxidizer in a manner which permits supercooling with subsequent solidification; (2) forming an unstable oil-continuous emulsion as a preliminary step, followed by a controlled disruption of the oil-phase continuum which causes the composition to solidify after supercooling, and (3) retarding crystal nucleation in salt-continuous emulsions by introducing surfactants, thickeners, crystal-habit modifiers or combinations, along with immiscible fuels, resulting in supercooling and subsequent solidification to a hard composition.

Microknit composite explosives and processes for making same

A new arrangement of matter is developed which can be formulated to be a high explosive, a propellant or a gas generator. The new arrangement of matter in its explosive embodiment is known as a microknit composite explosive (MCX) in which an essentially anhydrous mixture of perchlorate based oxidizer salts, surfactants and organic fuels is prepared while the oxidizer is molten, and a microcrystalline property is created which imparts a hard, machinable characteristic to the arrangement of matter. The invention includes three processes for making MCX compositions: (1) dissolving surfactants, crystal-habit modifiers, thickeners or combinations into the molten oxidizer in a manner which permits supercooling with subsequent solidification; (2) forming an unstable oil-continuous emulsion as a preliminary step, followed by a controlled disruption of the oil-phase continuum which causes the composition to solidify after supercooling, and (3) retarding crystal nucleation in salt-continuous emulsions by introducing surfactants, thickeners, crystal-habit modifiers or combinations, along with immiscible fuels, resulting in supercooling and subsequent solidification to a hard composition.

Perchlorate based microknit composite explosives and processes for

The invention relates to a cast explosive composition having a relatively high density and energy and a critical diameter no larger than about 150 mm at a temperature of 5.degree. C. The composition comprises inorganic oxidizer salt consisting primarily of ammonium nitrate, a water-immiscible organic liquid fuel, less than about 5% water, a sensitizer and an emulsifier which allows formation of a water-in-oil emulsion at an elevated formulation temperature but which also allows the emulsion to weaken and the inorganic oxidizer salt to crystallize at lower or ambient temperatures to produce a cast composition.

Sensitized cast emulsion explosive composition

The invention relates to a cast explosive composition having a high density, energy and critical diameter and comprising inorganic oxidizer salt consisting primarily of ammonium nitrate, a water-immiscible organic liquid fuel, less than about 5% water, and an emulsifier which allows formation of a water-in-oil emulsion at an elevated formulation temperature but which also allows the emulsion to weaken and the inorganic oxidizer salt to crystallize at lower or ambient temperatures to produce a cast composition.

Cast emulsion explosive composition

The present invention relates to improved blasting agents. More particularly, the invention relates to a water-in-oil emulsion blasting agent containing sodium nitrate (SN) in an amount of from about 40% to about 70% by weight of the total composition. The water-in-oil emulsion blasting agents of this invention have a water-immiscible liquid organic fuel as a continuous phase; an emulsified aqueous inorganic oxidizer salt solution as a discontinuous phase; particulate inorganic oxidizer salt; an emulsifier; and optionally a density reducing agent. Preferably the blasting agents contain from about 10% to about 40% ammonium nitrate (AN) in addition to SN.

Blasting compositions containing sodium nitrate

The present invention relates to improved explosive compositions of the aqueous slurry type. More particularly, the invention relates to explosive compositions containing sodium perchlorate, polysaccharide polymer of plant origin, water, and preferably, gassing and cross-linking agents and particulate sensitizers such as finely divided aluminum. These compositions have improved physical and detonation properties over prior art compositions, and in addition, they form excellent 'permissible' explosive compositions, even though sodium perchlorate is present.

Perchlorate slurry explosive

The invention relates to a water-in-oil emulsion blasting agent having a discontinuous aqueous oxidizer salt solution phase which contains a calcium nitrate to ammonium nitrate weight ratio of 1.5 or greater, a continuous oil or water-immiscible liquid organic phase, an emulsifier, and optionally a density reducing agent.

Emulsion explosives containing high concentrations of calcium nitrate

The invention relates to water-in-oil emulsion blasting agents having a discontinuous aqueous phase, a continuous oil or water-immiscible liquid organic phase, and an emulsifier having an unsaturated hydrocarbon chain for its lipophilic portion.

Emulsion blasting composition

The invention relates to emulsified aqueous explosive blasting compositions having a discontinuous aqueous phase, a continuous oil or water-immiscible liquid organic phase, and a fatty acid amine or ammonium salt emulsifier having a chain length ranging from 14 to 22 carbon atoms.

Growing community of inventors

Lehi, UT, United States of America

Harvey A Jessop