Blasting compositions

A method of increasing the water resistance, and/or increasing the sleep time, of a blended explosive composition comprising a blend of an emulsion explosive having a solid particulate oxidizer component comprising ammonium nitrate prill dispersed therein, which method comprises the steps of:

• providing a fuel component containing carbonaceous material and a binding agent dissolved therein, wherein the carbonaceous material is selected from fuel oil, heating oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, mineral oils, and vegetable oil;
• coating the solid particulate oxidizer component with the fuel component with the binding agent dissolved therein, wherein the particulate oxidizer component contains one or more oxidizer salts;
• and
• adding the coated particulate oxidizer to the emulsion to form the explosive, wherein the binding agent binds the carbonaceous material of the fuel component to the particulate oxidizer component, thereby increasing the water resistance of the blended explosive composition;
• wherein the binding agent is selected from C36 to C100 long chain carboxylic acids comprising stearic acid or oleic acid having at least two carboxylic acid groups and its salts and derivatives thereof to a blended explosive composition characterized in that the binding agent is selected from one or more of dimer acid, trimer acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, sorbitan tristearate, and their salts and esters thereof.

A blended explosive composition comprising an emulsion explosive having dispersed therein a solid particulate oxidizer component,

• wherein the solid particulate oxidizer component comprises non-porous ammonium nitrate prill;
• and
• a fuel component coating the non-porous solid particulate oxidizer component, the fuel component containing carbonaceous material selected from fuel oil, heating oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, mineral oils, and vegetable oil, and a binding agent dissolved in the carbonaceous material prior to coating the non-porous solid particulate oxidizer component, wherein the binding agent is selected from C36 to C100 long chain carboxylic acids comprising stearic acid or oleic acid having at least two carboxylic acid groups and its salts and derivatives thereof, and
• the binding agent configured to bind the carbonaceous material of the fuel component to the non-porous particulate oxidizer component, thereby stabilizing the blended explosive composition.