Process for the production of intermediate emulsions for use in emulsion explosives

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9458066-B2
Application number	US-201113816543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2011
Priority date	Aug 13, 2010
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A process for producing an intermediate emulsion comprising an oxidizer solution, fuel and emulsifier, which process comprises the steps of: (a) mixing in a micromixer an oxidizer solution with a fuel blend comprising a fuel and an emulsifier so as to solubilize a portion of the oxidizer solution in the fuel blend to produce a precursor product; (b) mixing the precursor product obtained in step (a) using a micromixer in one or more successive stages in order to form the intermediate emulsion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing an intermediate emulsion comprising an oxidizer solution, fuel and emulsifier, which comprises the steps of:
(a) mixing in a micromixer an oxidizer solution with a fuel blend comprising a fuel and an emulsifier so as to solubilise a portion of the oxidizer solution in the fuel blend to produce a precursor product;
(b) mixing the precursor product obtained in step (a) using a micromixer in one or more successive stages in order to form the intermediate emulsion, wherein the output of each stage of mixing, and the process as a whole, is 50 to 125 ml/min.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dispersed oxidizer phase is selected to control the inherent sensitivity of the intermediate emulsion.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the residence time for the entire process is from 20 to 100 milliseconds.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the pressure drop over the process as a whole is less than 20 bar.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the volume supply rates for the aqueous oxidizer solution and fuel blend respectively are 10 to 250 ml/min and 0.5 to 25 ml/min.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate emulsion has a viscosity of at least 6,000 cP (Brookfield viscosity taken with spindle #7 at 50 rpm) at ambient temperature.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the droplet size of the intermediate emulsion is less than 40 μm.

8. A method for the manufacture of an emulsion explosive which comprises sensitising an intermediate emulsion produced in accordance with the process of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Goodridge Richard John
• Sujansky Vladimir
• Junarsa Ivan
• Mcgrath Kira
• Orica Int Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Goodridge Richard John
• Sujansky Vladimir
• Junarsa Ivan
• Mcgrath Kira

Classifications

• C06B21/0008

  Compounding the ingredient · CPC title

• C06B47/145 Primary

  Water in oil emulsion type explosives in which a carbonaceous fuel forms the continuous phase · CPC title

• C06B31/285 Primary

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

• B01F13/0059

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F3/0807

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic