A Method of Producing an Explosive Emulsion Composition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016145165-A1
Application number	US-201414900120-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of producing an explosive composition comprising a liquid energetic material and sensitizing voids, the sensitizing voids being present in the liquid energetic material with a non-random distribution, which method comprises: providing a flow of liquid energetic material; and delivering sensitizing voids into the flow of liquid energetic material in a series of pulses to provide regions in the liquid energetic material in which sensitizing voids are sufficiently concentrated to render those regions detonable and regions in the liquid energetic material in which the sensitizing voids are not so concentrated.

First claim

1 . A method of producing an explosive composition comprising a liquid energetic material and sensitizing voids, the sensitizing voids being present in the liquid energetic material with a non-random distribution, which method comprises:
providing a flow of liquid energetic material; and delivering sensitizing voids into the flow of liquid energetic material in a series of pulses to provide regions in the liquid energetic material in which sensitizing voids are sufficiently concentrated to render those regions detonable.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a chemical gassing solution is delivered into the liquid energetic material in a series of pulses, the chemical gassing solution reacting with one or more components of the liquid energetic material to generate gas bubbles that are the sensitizing voids.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensitizing voids are selected from glass micro-balloons, plastic micro-balloons and expanded polystyrene beads.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the distribution of gas bubbles in the liquid energetic material is manipulated by controlling one or more of the flow rate of the liquid energetic material at the location(s) of delivery of the chemical gassing solution, the amount, type of the chemical gassing solution used, the concentration of the chemical gassing solution used, the duration of each pulse of delivery of chemical gassing solution and the frequency of the pulses.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the distribution of sensitizing voids is manipulated by controlling one or more of the flow rate of the liquid energetic material at the location(s) at which the sensitizing voids are delivered into the liquid energetic material, the amount of sensitizing voids, the type of sensitizing voids, the duration of each pulse of delivery of sensitizing voids and the frequency of the pulses.

6 . A method of blasting which comprises providing in a blasthole an explosive composition comprising a liquid energetic material and sensitizing voids, the sensitizing voids being present in the liquid energetic material with a non-random distribution, wherein the explosive composition has been produced in accordance with the method of claim 1 , and detonating the explosive composition.

7 . A mobile manufacturing and delivery platform that is adapted to provide in a blasthole an explosive composition in accordance with the method of claim 1 .

8 . A mobile manufacturing and delivery platform according to claim 7 , comprising:
a storage tank for a liquid energetic material; a delivery line for conveying a stream of the liquid energetic material from the storage tank; a void delivery system for delivering sensitizing voids into the stream of liquid energetic material in a series of pulses; and a blasthole loading hose.

9 . The mobile manufacturing and delivery platform of claim 8 , wherein the void delivery system comprises a flow control valve or a reciprocating pump.

10 . The mobile manufacturing and delivery platform of claim 8 , wherein the storage tank comprises at least two independent compartments and a valve for controlling which compartment feeds the delivery line.

11 . The mobile manufacturing and delivery platform of claim 8 , wherein the storage tank comprises at least two independent compartments, a supply line extending from each compartment and a valve for controlling which supply line feeds the delivery line.

12 . A portable module that is adapted to provide in a blasthole an explosive composition in accordance with the method of claim 1 .

13 . The portable module of claim 12 , wherein the void delivery system comprises a flow control valve or a reciprocating pump.

14 . The portable module of claim 12 , comprising:
a delivery line for conveying a stream of the liquid energetic material from a storage tank; a void delivery system for delivering sensitizing voids into the stream of liquid energetic material in a series of pulses; and a blasthole loading hose.

15 . A method of blasting in which an explosive composition is provided in a blasthole using a mobile manufacturing and delivery platform as claimed in claim 7 .

16 . A method of blasting in which an explosive composition is provided in a blasthole using a mobile manufacturing and delivery platform as claimed in a portable module as claimed in claim 12 , and the explosive composition subsequently detonated.

Assignees

• Orica Int Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Zank Johann
• Rayson Mark Stuart
• Sujansky Vladimir
• Walter James
• Kirby Ian John
• Cooper John

Classifications

• F42D1/10 Primary

  Feeding explosives in granular or slurry form; Feeding explosives by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure · CPC title

• C06B23/003

  Porous or hollow inert particles (preparation C06B21/0091) · CPC title

• F42D3/04

  for rock blasting · CPC title

• C06B23/004

  Chemical sensitisers · CPC title

• C06B21/0008 Primary

  Compounding the ingredient · CPC title