Dry ammonium nitrate blasting agents

A process for preparing ammonium nitrate-based explosives with improved storage properties which comprises contacting high density particulate ammonium nitrate in the substantial absence of water with a liquid mixture comprising a carbonaceous fuel and at least one polymer characterized by an h/c value of at least about 1 to form a dry, pourable ammonium nitrate explosive containing from about 90 to 98 wt % ammonium nitrate, from about 0.01 to 1.0 wt % of said polymer, and from about 2 to 9 wt % of said carbonaceous fuel.

A process for forming a dry, pourable ammonium nitrate-based explosive having improved storage properties which comprises (a) contacting high density ammonium nitrate prills with at least one finely divided metal salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms to form coated high density ammonium nitrate prills containing from about 0.001 to 1.0 wt % of said metallic salt as a coating thereon;

• and (b) contacting the said coated ammonium nitrate prills with a liquid mixture comprising a carbonaceous fuel and at least one hydrocarbon oil soluble polymer having an "h/c" value of at least about 1, to form said explosive, said polymer and carbonaceous fuel being employed in an amount sufficient to provide from about 90 to 98 wt % of said ammonium nitrate, from about 0.01 to 1.0 wt % of said polymer and from about 2 to 9 wt % of said carbonaceous fuel in said explosive, said carbonaceous fuel having an aniline point of less than about 95.degree. C., and said liquid polymer/fuel mixture having an H factor of at least about 5, wherein said H factor is determined by the following expression
• H=h/c.times.C'
• wherein h/c is as defined above and C' is the weight percent concentration of said polymer in said polymer/fuel mixture.

A process for preparing ammonium nitrate-base explosives wiht improved storage properties which comprise contacting high density particulate ammonium nitrate in the substantial absence of water with a liquid mixture comprising a carbonaceous fuel and at least one polymer characterized by a h/c value of less than the number 1 and characterized by a viscosity average molecular weight of at least about 90,000 t form a dry, pourable ammonium nitrate explosive containing from about 90 to 98 wt % ammonium nitrate, from about 0.01 to 1.0 wt % of said polymer and from about 2 to 9 wt % of said carbonaceous fuel.