Ammonium nitrate fuel oil mixtures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315429-B2
Application number	US-201113813529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2011
Priority date	Aug 3, 2010
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to ammonium nitrate fuel oil mixtures, and includes compositions comprising (a) ammonium nitrate, (b) a fuel component, (c) a functionalized polymer component, and (d) an oil-soluble anionic surfactant, wherein the mixture of components (b), (c) and (d) form a gel that will not readily flow. The compositions of the present invention provide improve fuel retention and/or water resistance properties, particularly when the compositions use low quality porous prills of ammonium nitrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composition comprising:
(a) from 92 to 96% of the total weight of the composition of ammonium nitrate;
(b) from 4 to 8% of the total weight of the composition of a fuel component;
(c) from 0.1 to 2.5% of the total weight of the composition of a functionalized polymer component;
(d) from 0.1 to 1.5% of the total weight of the composition of an oil-soluble anionic surfactant;
wherein the mixture of components (b), (c) and (d) form a gel that will not readily flow.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein component (a) is in the form of agglomerates and/or prills.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the ammonium nitrate component is not capable of retaining at least 6% of the fuel component when used to make an ammonium nitrate fuel oil mixture.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the ammonium nitrate component has a poured bulk density greater than about 0.85 g/cc, an oil-absorption capacity of less than about 7%, or combinations thereof.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein component (b) comprises diesel oil, mineral oil, vegetable oil, mono- and/or di-esters of vegetable oil, reclaimed oil, or combinations thereof; and may optionally further include a solid fuel component.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein component (c) comprises the reaction product of an olefin copolymer and an unsaturated carboxylic acylating agent.

7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the unsaturated carboxylic acylating agent comprises maleic anhydride.

8. The composition of claim 6 wherein the polymer component is prepared via reactive extrusion.

9. The composition of claim 1 wherein component (c) comprises a maleic anhydride functionalized olefin copolymer having a number average molecular weight from 50,000 to 200,000.

10. The composition of claim 1 wherein component (d) delivers calcium ions, magnesium ions, sodium ions, zinc ions or combinations thereof to the composition.

11. The composition of claim 1 wherein component (d) comprises an overbased calcium sulfonate detergent, an overbased sodium sulfonate detergent, or combinations thereof.

12. A method for using an explosive in a mining operation comprising:
providing an explosive composition comprising the composition of claim 1 ; and loading said explosive composition into a blast hole that has been established in the earth.

13. A method of preparing an explosive composition, the method comprising the step of mixing: (a) from 92 to 96% of the total weight of the composition of ammonium nitrate; (b) from 4 to 8% of the total weight of the composition of a fuel component; (c) from 0.1 to 2.5% of the total weight of the composition of a functionalized polymer component; (d) from 0.1 to 1.5% of the total weight of the composition of an oil-soluble anionic surfactant;
wherein the mixture of components (b), (c) and (d) form a gel that will not readily flow.

Assignees

• Fedorov Andrei B
• Love Barry
• Lubrizol Corp

Inventors

• Fedorov Andrei B
• Love Barry

Classifications

• C06B23/001 Primary

  Fillers, gelling and thickening agents (e.g. fibres) , absorbents for nitroglycerine (binders, plasticisers for propellants C06B45/10; crosslinking or curing agents C06B45/10) · CPC title

• C06B31/285

  with fuel oil, e.g. ANFO-compositions · CPC title

• C06B31/30 Primary

  with vegetable matter; with resin; with rubber · CPC title

• C06B47/00

  Compositions in which the components are separately stored until the moment of burning or explosion, e.g. "Sprengel"-type explosives; Suspensions of solid component in a normally non-explosive liquid phase, including a thickened aqueous phase · CPC title

• E21C37/00

  Other methods or devices for dislodging with or without loading (breaking-down by means inserted in slits E21C27/14) · CPC title