Ici Canada, Inc.

Ici Explosives USA Inc.

Melvin A McNicol

Fortunato Villamagna

Clare T Aitken

J P Couture

Robert Lebrun

Curtis P Link

The present invention is directed to the manufacture of a broken-emulsion which is comprised of polyglycol bottoms and emulsion. The broken-emulsion can be made from waste emulsion and can subsequently be used as a fuel component and/or oxidizer in an explosive.

Broken-emulsion and process for recycling emulsion explosives

A stemming agent is provided comprising: A) a neutralized acrylic acid polymer; B) a neutralized mixture of sodium silicate and a silicon oxide-containing material such as sand, clay, stones, volcanic ash, or the like; or C) a mixture of materials A) and B). The stemming agents produced are low cost, easily made, and preferably are free of nitrate salts. Accordingly, the use of these preferred stemming agents eliminates the contamination of ground water by nitrate salts. The stemming agents of the invention may be used in either bulk-delivered or packaged applications.

Inert stemming materials

The present invention is directed to intimately combining petroleum products with ammonium nitrate prills forming a coating thereon, whereby said coating is tackified and free flowing.

Prill coating

A method of increasing the viscosity, and the resistance to high shear induced crystallization, of a pumpable, shear thickened emulsion explosive, is provided wherein the explosive has been prepared by emulsifying an oxidizer salt phase into a fuel phase, and at least a portion of said fuel phase has been replaced with a vegetable oil. The explosives are particularly suitable for use in up-hole blasting operations because of their high viscosity and resistance to shear induced crystallization of the oxidizer salt.

Growing community of inventors

CA

Melvin A McNicol