# US 5,608,184 A · Alternative use of military propellants as novel blasting agents

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- Number: US 5,608,184 A
- Document ID: US5608184A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/383,526
- Filed: 1995-02-03
- Granted: 1997-03-04
- Earliest claimed: 1995-02-03
- Assignees: Universal Tech Corporation
- Inventors: Oldrich Machacek; Gary R. Eck; J. Brent Gilion
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5608184A

## CPC

- C06B 21/0091: {Elimination of undesirable or temporary components of an intermediate or finished product, e.g. making porous or low density products, purifying, stabilising, drying; Deactivating; Reclaiming; (porous inert particles or chemicals compounded for these purposes C06B23/00)}
- C06B: EXPLOSIVES OR THERMIC COMPOSITIONS (blasting F42D); MANUFACTURE THEREOF; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS EXPLOSIVES (compounds in general C01, C07 or C08; {demolition agents based on cementitious or like materials C04B41/0009})

## Abstract

The present invention relates to the unexpected discovery that the use of single base or triple base propellant of small grain size in combination with a detonator and a booster, produces a blasting agent which has considerable commercial value. The resulting blasting agent exhibits favorable cost for performance characteristics.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A blasting agent consists essentially of single or triple base propellant grains having a grain size ranging from about 1/16 inch to about 1 inch diameter in combination with a detonator and a booster, said blasting agent being packaged with water or an aqueous salt solution to fill void volume.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The blasting agent according to claim 1 wherein said propellant is a single base propellant consisting essentially of at least about 75% by weight nitrocellulose.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The blasting agent according to claim 1 wherein said propellant is a triple base propellant consisting essentially of at least about 15% by weight nitrocellulose in combination with at least about 10% by weight of a secondary nitroester and at least about 25% by weight of a high explosive selected from the group consisting of nitroguanidine, RDX and HMX.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The blasting agent according to claim 1 further including a minor amount of a double base propellant.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The blasting agent according to claim 1 wherein said booster is a mixture of TNT and PETN.

### Claim 6

A method for using excess single base or triple base propellent in a blasting agent which propellant might otherwise become an environmental liability consisting essentially of combining single or triple base propellant grains having a grain size ranging from about 1/16 inch to about 1 inch diameter with a detonator and a booster to produce a blasting agent, said blasting agent being packaged with water or an aqueous solution to fill void volume.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6 wherein said propellant is a single base propellant consisting essentially of at least about 75% by weight nitrocellulose.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6 wherein said propellant is a triple base propellant consisting essentially of at least about 15% by weight nitrocellulose in combination with at least about 10% by weight of a secondary nitroester and at least about 25% by weight of a high explosive selected from the group consisting of nitroguanidine, RDX and HMX.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6 wherein said blasting agent further includes a minor amount of a double base propellant.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The blasting agent according to claim 6 wherein said booster is a mixture of TNT and PETN.