Stabilization of water-bearing explosives having a thickened continuous aqueous phase
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorLionel S. Sandell
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Abstract
Water-bearing explosives comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a thickened or gelled continuous aqueous phase are stabilized against the degradation of their thickened or gelled structure by the incorporation therein of iodide and/or iodate ions. Preferably, iodide ion is introduced by dissolving ammonium iodide or an alkali metal iodide in an aqueous liquor or sol containing the oxidizer component. The stabilization method is particularly useful in explosives containing a guar gum thickener and flake aluminum in the sensitizer component.
Claims26
A method of stabilizing the thickened or gelled structure of a water-bearing explosive comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a thickened or gelled continuous aqueous phase, said method comprising incorporating in the explosive a thermally stabilizing amount of iodide ion, iodate ion, or a combination of iodide and iodate ions.
In a water-bearing explosive comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a continuous aqueous phase having a thickened or gelled structure, the improvement comprising a stabilizer of the thickened or gelled structure comprising iodide ion, iodate ion, or a combination of iodide and iodate ions, said sensitizer component being devoid of a sensitizing amount of gas bubbles formed (a) by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, when the stabilizer contains iodide ion and (b) by the decomposition of a nitrogen compound, when the stabilizer contains iodate ion.
In a water-bearing explosive comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a continuous aqueous phase thickened or gelled with a gelactomannan gum or starch, said explosive including aluminum in ionic form or solid elemental or combined form, the improvement comprising a stabilizer of the thickened or gelled structure comprising iodide ion in the amount of at least 0.003 percent, and/or iodate ion in the amount of 0.020 to 0.3 percent, of the explosive by weight, said sensitizer component being devoid of a sensitizing amount of gas bubbles formed (a) by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, when the stabilizer contains iodide ion and (b) by the decomposition of a nitrogen compound, when the stabilizer contains iodate ion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.