Claims
- 1. A process for “in situ” manufacturing of water based explosives, said process comprising the steps of (i) transporting a water based oxidizer product to a loading place for explosives receiving boreholes, and (ii) the manufacture and sensitization of the explosive before the loading of said explosive in the boreholes; whereinsaid water based oxidizer product has an oxygen balance greater than 14% and it is composed of a saturated aqueous solution of oxidizer salts, oxidizer particles in suspension and thickening agents, said manufacturing and sensitization being performed by mixing in a mixer said water based oxidizer product with a fuel and with a gas stream, so as to form an intimate mixture of said water based oxidizer product and the fuel, and a suspension or emulsion of gas in liquid, and the density of the explosive being adjusted by controlling the gas stream volume.
- 2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said water based oxidizer product contains between 60% and 95% by weight of oxidizer salts.
- 3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said water based oxidizer product contains oxidizer salts selected from the group consisting of nitrates, chlorates and perchlorates of ammonium, alkaline and alkaline-earth metals and mixtures thereof.
- 4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said water based oxidizer product contains between 0.1% and 5% by weight of thickening agents.
- 5. A process according to claim 1, wherein said water based oxidizer product contains a thickening agent selected from the group consisting of products derived from seeds, biosynthetic products and derivatives thereof, synthetic polymers and thickeners of inorganic origin of the sepiolite type.
- 6. A process according to claim 1, wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils, petroleum derivatives, derivatives of vegetable origin, finely divided metallic fuels, and their mixtures.
- 7. A process according to claim 1, wherein the explosive obtained contains between 3% and 20% by weight of a fuel.
- 8. A process according to claim 1, wherein said gas is selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide.
- 9. A process according to claim 1, wherein the volumetric ratio between said gas stream and said mixture composed by said water based oxidizer product and said fuel is comprised between 0.05 and 5.
- 10. A process according to claim 1, which further includes the addition of a solution for stabilizing gas bubbles.
- 11. A process according to claim 10, wherein said solution for stabilizing gas bubbles is selected from the group consisting of solutions or dispersions of surfactants, proteins, polymers and derivatives thereof.
- 12. A process according to claim 10, wherein the explosive manufactured contains up to 5% by weight with respect to the explosive, of a solution for stabilizing gas bubbles.
- 13. An installation for “in situ” manufacturing of water based explosives, according to the process of any one of claims 1 to 12, which contains at least:a mixer; a tank for the storage of the water based oxidizer product; a pump flow connecting said tank for the storage of the water based oxidizer product to the mixer; a tank for the storage of the fuel; a pump flow connecting said tank for the storage of the fuel to the mixer; a gaseous reserve of gas operatively connected to the mixer; and a gas flow regulating device.
- 14. An installation according to claim 13, which further contains a tank for the storage of a solution for stabilizing gas bubbles and a pump flow connecting said tank for the storage of the solution for stabilizing gas bubbles to the mixer.
- 15. An installation according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein said mixer is a dynamic type mixer.
- 16. An installation according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein said mixer is a discontinuous mixer.
- 17. An installation according to any one of claims 13 to 16, said installation being placed on a borehole loading truck.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of PCT/ES9900224.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0194775 |
Sep 1986 |
EP |
0203230 |
Dec 1986 |
EP |
1215378 |
Dec 1970 |
GB |
WO 9900342 |
Jan 1999 |
WO |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/ES99/00224 |
Jul 1999 |
US |
Child |
10/041335 |
|
US |