Emulsion explosive compositions and methods of use

Abstract

The present invention provides safe, environmentally friendly compositions and efficient methods for initiating explosions. More specifically, the present invention provides microorganism-derived compositions for emulsion explosives, which can also be used to stabilize emulsion explosive compositions.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 394,782, filed on August 3, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] Conventional emulsion explosives are water-in-oil emulsions, comprising inorganic oxidant salt solution droplets (i.e., discontinuous phase) dispersed in fuel (i.e., continuous phase). The droplets constituting the dispersed phase or emulsified phase are fixed by a water-in-oil emulsifier under the condition that the emulsified state remains stable. Typically, an emulsifier or surfactant is used in the emulsion to promote the formation and stabilization of the oxidant salt solution droplets.

[0004] The detonation velocity characteristics of emulsion explosives make this type of explosive particularly useful. The useful detonation characteristics are based on the mixing of the emulsion explosive. The continuous phase of the fuel surrounds each discontinuous phase droplet of the inorganic oxidizer, providing a large interfacial surface area between the two phases.

[0005] However, problems remain with emulsion explosive compositions and methods of use. Emulsion explosives have a relatively low density, which limits the explosive's detonation pressure. In addition, the oxidizers used in emulsion explosives crystallize at ambient air temperatures and must generally be kept warm. If the oxidizer crystallizes, the crystal structure can puncture the droplets containing the oxidizer, causing the droplets to collapse and the crystals to aggregate. Eventually, the emulsion can become destabilized and the usefulness of the emulsion explosive can be reduced, perhaps to the point where the emulsion explosive cannot be detonated.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for new and improved emulsion explosive compositions and methods of use. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention relates generally to emulsion explosives. More specifically, the present invention provides environmentally friendly compositions and methods for blasting geological formations, such as at a mining site, a construction site, or an infrastructure site. In certain embodiments, explosive emulsion compositions can be stabilized using the present compositions and methods.

[0008] Advantageously, the compositions and methods of the present invention enhance the effectiveness of emulsion explosives and can reduce the use of chemicals (including chemical surfactants) used in emulsion explosive compositions. Thus, the present invention can be used to reduce pollution generated during blasting, including during mining operations, road opening and construction.

[0009] In some embodiments, the invention provides compositions comprising components derived from microorganisms. In some embodiments, compositions include microbial biosurfactants. In some embodiments, compositions include one or more biosurfactants, and optional other compounds, such as: water; chemical surfactants; solid fuels (including, for example, aluminum particles, carbonaceous materials (such as black asphalt or coal), plant grains (such as wheat) and sulfur); liquid fuels (including, for example, mineral oils, silicone oils, waxes, paraffin oils, esters (such as dioctyl adipate and isodecyl nonanoate), petroleum distillates (such as gasoline, kerosene and diesel), vegetable oils (such as corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil and soybean oil), aliphatic or aromatic nitro compounds and chlorinated hydrocarbons); crosslinking agents; oxidants; inorganic salts (including, for example, ammonium, potassium and sodium salts of perchlorates and nitrates); emulsifiers (including, for example, sorbitan monooleate, tartaric acid, isopropyl esters of lanolin fatty acids, substituted oxazolines and polyisobutyl succinic anhydride (PIBSA)) or any combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the biosurfactant can produce a foam, a liquid, or a semisolid when applied to a surface.

[0010] In certain embodiments, the biosurfactant in the composition is used in raw form. In addition to the biosurfactant, the raw form may include fermentation broth of the microorganism that cultivates the biosurfactant, residual microbial cell material or living or inactive microbial cells, residual nutrients and / or other microbial growth byproducts.

[0011] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant is used after extraction and optional purification from the fermentation broth.

[0012] The biosurfactant according to the present invention can be a glycolipid (such as sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, cellobiose lipids, mannoerythritol lipids and trehalose lipids), a lipopeptide (such as surfactin, iturin, fengycin, arthrofactin and lichenin), a yellow fat, a phospholipid (such as cardiolipin), a fatty acid ester compound, a fatty acid ether compound and / or a high molecular weight polymer (such as lipoprotein, lipopolysaccharide-protein complex and polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complex).

[0013] In certain specific embodiments, the biosurfactant is a sophorolipid (SLP), including linear SLP, lactone SLP, acetylated SLP, deacetylated SLP, salt-form SLP, esterified SLP derivatives, amino acid-SLP conjugates, and other SLP derivatives or isomers existing in nature and / or synthetically produced. In a preferred embodiment, the SLP is a linear SLP or a derivatized linear SLP.

[0014] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method of detonating an object, wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) contacting an emulsion explosive composition according to the present invention with an object and / or surface; and b) initiating an explosion of the emulsion explosive composition.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method can reduce crystallization of the oxidizer in the emulsion explosive composition.

[0016] In some embodiments, the method of the present invention comprises contacting an object or surface with an emulsion explosive composition, the emulsion explosive composition comprising a biosurfactant and optionally other ingredients, such as: water; a chemical surfactant; a solid fuel (including, for example, aluminum pellets, carbonaceous materials (such as black bitumen or coal), plant grains (such as wheat), and sulfur); a liquid fuel (including, for example, mineral oils, silicone oils, waxes, paraffin oils, esters (such as dioctyl adipate and isodecyl nonanoate), petroleum distillates (such as gasoline, kerosene, and diesel), vegetable oils (such as corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil), aliphatic or aromatic nitro compounds, and chlorinated hydrocarbons); a cross-linking agent; an oxidizing agent; an inorganic salt (including, for example, ammonium, potassium, and sodium salts of perchlorates and nitrates); an emulsifier (including, for example, sorbitan monooleate, tartaric acid, isopropyl esters of lanolin fatty acids, substituted oxazolines, and polyisobutylsuccinic anhydride (PIBSA)), or any combination thereof.

[0017] In certain embodiments, the chemical surfactant of the emulsion explosive composition is a detergent, wetting agent, emulsifier, foaming agent and / or dispersant.

[0018] In certain embodiments, the method improves the uniformity of the suspended droplets in the emulsion explosive composition and can increase the surface area of ​​the droplets. In certain embodiments, the droplets produced can have a diameter of less than about 10 cm, about 1 cm, about 1 mm, about 500 μm, about 100 μm, about 10 μm, about 1 μm, about 100 nm, about 10 nm, or about 1 nm.

[0019] In certain embodiments, the effectiveness of the emulsion explosives is due to the surfactant contacting and stabilizing the discrete droplets in the emulsion explosive composition. Such surfactants can keep the oxidizer droplets in a liquid state, especially at ambient air temperatures.

[0020] In certain embodiments, the methods of the present invention result in at least a 25% increase in the stability of the oxidant droplets in the composition, preferably at least a 50% increase.

[0021] Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the emulsion explosive composition according to the present invention can effectively inhibit the crystallization of the oxidant. In addition, the method of the present invention does not require complex equipment or high energy consumption, and the production of the composition can be carried out on site (eg, in a mine or road). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention generally relates to emulsion explosive compositions and methods of use. More specifically, the present invention provides environmentally friendly compositions and methods for emulsion explosives (e.g., for use in mines, construction sites, and roads). In certain embodiments, the emulsion explosive compositions can be stabilized using the present compositions and methods.

[0023] Thus, the present invention can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of emulsion explosive compositions. Advantageously, the subject compositions and methods utilize safe, environmentally friendly compositions.

[0024] Selected Definitions

[0025] As used herein, "administering" a composition or product means contacting it with a target or site so that the composition or product produces an effect on the target or site. This effect may be due to, for example, microbial growth and / or the action of biosurfactants or other microbial growth byproducts.

[0026] As used herein, a "biofilm" is a complex collection of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, or fungi in which cells adhere to each other and / or to a surface using an extracellular matrix. Cells in a biofilm are physiologically different from planktonic cells of the same organism, which are single cells that can float or swim in a liquid medium.

[0027] As used herein, an "isolated" or "purified" nucleic acid molecule, polynucleotide, polypeptide, protein, or organic compound such as a small molecule (such as those described below) is substantially free of other compounds associated therewith in nature, such as cellular material. A purified or isolated polynucleotide (ribonucleic acid (RNA) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)) does not contain genes or sequences located on either side of it in its naturally occurring state. A purified or isolated polypeptide does not contain amino acids or sequences located on either side of it in its naturally occurring state. An isolated microbial strain refers to a strain that is separated from the environment in which it exists in nature. Thus, an isolated strain may exist, for example, as a biologically pure culture, or as a spore associated with a vector (or other form of a strain).

[0028] In certain embodiments, the purified compound is at least 60% by weight of the compound of interest. Preferably, the preparation is at least 75% by weight of the compound of interest, more preferably at least 90%, and most preferably at least 98%. For example, the purified compound is at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 98%, 99% or 100% (w / w) of the weight of the desired compound. Purity can be measured by any appropriate standard method (e.g., column chromatography, thin layer chromatography, or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis).

[0029] "Metabolite" refers to any substance produced by metabolism or necessary to participate in a specific metabolic process. A metabolite can be an organic compound that is a starting material, intermediate, or end product of metabolism. Examples of metabolites include, but are not limited to, enzymes, acids, solvents, alcohols, proteins, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, biopolymers, and biosurfactants.

[0030] The range provided herein should be understood as a shorthand for all numerical values ​​within the range. For example, a range of 1 to 20 may be understood to include any number, combination of numbers or subranges from a group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 and all intermediate decimal values ​​(e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9) between the aforementioned integers. With regard to subranges, "nested subranges" extending from either end of the range are particularly contemplated. For example, a nested subrange of an example range of 1 to 50 may include 1 to 10, 1 to 20, 1 to 30 and 1 to 40 in one direction, or 50 to 40, 50 to 30, 50 to 20 and 50 to 10 in another direction.

[0031] As used herein, "decrease" refers to a negative change and "increase" refers to a positive change, wherein the negative or positive change is at least 0.001%, 0.01%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or 100%.

[0032] As used herein, "surfactant" refers to a compound that reduces the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants are used, for example, as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents and / or dispersants. "Biosurfactant" is a surface-active substance produced by living cells and / or from natural substrates.

[0033] Biosurfactants are a class of structurally diverse surface-active substances consisting of two parts: a polar (hydrophilic) portion and a non-polar (hydrophobic) group. Due to their amphiphilic structure, biosurfactants can, for example, increase the surface area of ​​hydrophobic, water-insoluble substances, increase the water bioavailability of these substances, and change the properties of bacterial cell surfaces. Biosurfactants can also reduce the interfacial tension between water and oil, thereby reducing the hydrostatic pressure required to move entrained liquids in order to overcome capillary action. Biosurfactants aggregate at the interface, thereby reducing the interfacial tension, resulting in the formation of aggregated micellar structures in solution. The formation of micelles provides a physical mechanism to enable, for example, oil to flow in a flowing aqueous phase.

[0034] The ability of biosurfactants to reduce surface tension also makes them useful as antibacterial, antifungal and hemolytic agents, for example to control the growth of pests and / or microorganisms.

[0035] Typically, the hydrophilic group of a biosurfactant is a sugar (such as a monosaccharide, disaccharide, or polysaccharide) or a peptide, while the hydrophobic group is usually a fatty acid. Thus, there are countless potential variations of biosurfactant molecules based on, for example, the type of sugar, the number of sugars, the size of the peptide, which amino acids are in the peptide, the length of the fatty acid, the degree of saturation of the fatty acid, additional acetylation, additional functional groups, esterification, polarity, and the charge of the molecule.

[0036] These changes have resulted in a group of molecules comprising a variety of classes, including, for example, glycolipids (such as sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, cellobiose lipids, mannoerythritol lipids and trehalose lipids), lipopeptides (such as surfactin, iturin, fengycin, sedative activity and lichenin), yellow lipids, phospholipids (such as cardiolipin), fatty acid ester compounds and high molecular weight polymers (such as lipoproteins, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes and polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complexes). Each biosurfactant in each class can further include subtypes with further modified structures.

[0037] Similar to chemical surfactants, each biosurfactant molecule has its own HLB value that depends on its structure; however, unlike the production of chemical surfactants (which produces a single molecule with a single HLB value or range), a cycle of biosurfactants typically produces a mixture of biosurfactant molecules (such as subtypes and their isomers).

[0038] The phrases "biosurfactant" and "biosurfactant molecule" include all forms, analogs, orthologs, isomers and natural and / or artificial modifications of any biosurfactant class (e.g., glycolipids) and / or its subtypes (e.g., sophorolipids).

[0039] As used herein, the term "sophorolipid", "sophorolipid molecule", "SLP" or "SLP molecule" includes all forms of SLP molecules and isomers thereof, including, for example, acidic (linear) SLP (ASL) and lactonic SLP (LSL). It also includes monoacetylated SLP, diacetylated SLP, esterified SLP, SLP with different hydrophobic chain lengths, cationic and / or anionic SLP attached with fatty acid-amino acid complexes, esterified SLP, SLP-metal complexes, SLP-salt derivatives (e.g., sodium salt of linear SLP) and others, including those described and / or not described in the present disclosure.

[0040] In certain embodiments, the glycolipid biosurfactant is a sophorolipid (SLP). Sophorolipids are glycolipid biosurfactants produced by various yeasts of the Starmerella branch, for example, cultivated in the presence of a hydrocarbon source of one or more fatty acids. SLP is generally composed of the disaccharide sophorose connected to a long-chain hydroxy fatty acid. They can include partially acetylated 2-O-β-D-pyranose glucopyranose-D-pyranose glucopyranose units, which are connected to 17-L-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid or 17-L-hydroxy-Δ9-octadecenoic acid with a β-glycosidic bond. Hydroxy fatty acids are generally 16 or 18 carbon atoms and may contain one or more unsaturated bonds. In addition, the sophorose residue can be acetylated at the 6-position and / or 6'-position. The fatty acid carboxyl group can be free (acidic or linear form (Formula 2)) or lactonized at the 4"-position (lactone acid form (Formula 1)). Bombus sphaeroides produces a special enzyme, called Bombus sphaeroides lactonase, which can catalyze the esterification reaction of linear SLP to produce lactone SLP.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the SLP according to the present invention is represented by general formula (1) and / or general formula (2), and is obtained as a collection of 30 or more types of structural homologues:

[0042]

[0043] Where R 1 and R 1’ Each represents a saturated hydrocarbon chain or a single or multiple (especially single) unsaturated hydrocarbon chain having 8 to 20, especially 12 to 18 carbon atoms, more preferably 14 to 18 carbon atoms, which may be linear or branched and may contain one or more hydroxyl groups, R 2 and R 2’ Each represents a hydrogen atom or a saturated alkyl functional group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, more preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a single or multiple (especially single) unsaturated alkyl functional group, which may be linear or branched and may contain one or more hydroxyl groups, R 3 , R 3’ , R 4 and R 4’ Each represents a hydrogen atom or -COCH3.

[0044] The composition used according to the present method may contain more than one form of SLP, including linear SLP and intralipidic SLP. The SLP may be non-acetylated, monoacetylated and / or diacetylated SLP.

[0045] In certain specific embodiments, the composition comprises a SLP according to formula (1) (linear SLP), wherein R 1 and / or R 2is acetyl, and wherein R 3 Derived from stearic, oleic and / or linoleic fatty acids.

[0046] SLP is usually produced by yeast, and yeast is for example yeast of the genus Stamosaccharomyces and / or yeast of the genus Candida, such as Stamosaccharomyces of Bombus spp. (Candida), Candida of Honeybee, Candida of Batista, Candida of Flower, Candida of Doxi, Candida of Star and / or Candida of Koch. SLP has environmental compatibility, high biodegradability, low toxicity, high selectivity and specific activity under a wide range of temperature, pH and salinity conditions. In addition, in some embodiments, the advantage of SLP is its small micelle size, which helps to promote micelles and compounds contained therein to move through nanoscale pores and spaces. In certain embodiments, the micelle size of SLP is less than 100nm, less than 50nm, less than 20nm, less than 15nm, less than 10nm or less than 5nm.

[0047] In certain embodiments, the glycolipid is a rhamnolipid. Rhamnolipid includes a glycosyl head group (i.e., rhamnose) portion and a 3-(hydroxyalkanoyloxy) alkanoic acid (HAA) fatty acid tail (e.g., 3-hydroxydecanoic acid). There are two main subtypes of rhamnolipids, i.e., monorhamnolipids and dirhamnolipids, which include one or two rhamnose portions, respectively. The length and degree of branching of the HAA portion can vary, depending on, for example, the growth medium and environmental conditions. Submerged cultures of Pseudomonas (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa) show the highest accumulation of rhamnolipids (RLPs).

[0048] The rhamnolipid according to the present invention may have the following structure according to general formula (3):

[0049]

[0050] Where m is 2, 1 or 0,

[0051] n is 1 or 0

[0052] R 1 and R 2 are, independently of one another, identical or different organic functional groups having 2 to 24, preferably 5 to 13, carbon atoms, in particular substituted or unsubstituted, branched or unbranched alkyl functions, which may also be unsaturated,

[0053] The alkyl functional group is a linear saturated alkyl functional group having 8 to 12 carbon atoms, or a nonyl or decyl functional group or a mixture thereof.

[0054] According to the present invention, salts of these compounds are also included. In the present invention, the term "dirhamnolipid" is understood as a compound of the above formula wherein n is 1 or a salt thereof. Accordingly, "monorhamnolipid" is understood as a compound of the above formula wherein n is 0 or a salt thereof in the present invention. In certain specific embodiments, the composition comprises a mixture of monorhamnolipid and dirhamnolipid.

[0055] As used herein, "emulsion explosive" refers to a composition comprising two immiscible liquids (e.g., oil and water) formed by shearing individual droplets (i.e., discontinuous phase) into a continuous phase. As used herein, the "continuous phase" is typically a liquid fuel (e.g., oil), while the "discontinuous phase" as used herein is typically an oxidant. The emulsion explosive may further comprise a surfactant to stabilize the droplets in the continuous phase.

[0056] As used herein, "detonation velocity" refers to the speed at which a shock wave travels through a detonated explosive.

[0057] The transitional term "comprising" is synonymous with "including" or "containing" and is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude other unrecited elements or method steps. In contrast, the transitional phrase "consisting of" excludes any elements, steps, or ingredients not specified in the claim. The transitional phrase "consisting essentially of" limits the scope of the claim to the specified materials or steps "and those materials or steps that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed invention." The use of the term "comprising" contemplates other embodiments of "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of the recited elements."

[0058] Unless otherwise specified or obvious from the context, as used herein, the term "or" should be understood to be inclusive. Unless otherwise specified or obvious from the context, as used herein, the terms "a", "and" and "the" can be understood to be singular or plural.

[0059] Unless otherwise specified or apparent from the context, as used herein, the term "about" is understood to be within the normal tolerance range in the art, such as within 2 standard deviations of the mean. About can be understood to be within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05% or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, all numerical values ​​provided herein are modified by the term about.

[0060] In any definition of a variable herein, the recitation of a list of chemical groups includes definitions of that variable as any single group or combination of the listed groups. The recitation of an embodiment for a variable or aspect herein includes that embodiment as any single embodiment or in combination with any other embodiment or portion thereof.

[0061] All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0062] Emulsion explosive composition

[0063] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides an emulsion explosive composition comprising a component derived from a microorganism. In certain embodiments, the emulsion explosive composition includes a microbial biosurfactant. In certain embodiments, the composition includes a biosurfactant and optionally includes: water; a chemical surfactant; a solid fuel (including, for example, aluminum pellets, carbonaceous materials (such as black asphalt or coal), plant grains (such as wheat) and sulfur); a liquid fuel (including, for example, mineral oil, silicone oil, wax, paraffin oil, esters (such as dioctyl adipate and isodecyl nonanoate), petroleum distillates (such as gasoline, kerosene and diesel), vegetable oils (such as corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil and soybean oil), aliphatic or aromatic nitro compounds and chlorinated hydrocarbons); a crosslinking agent; an oxidizing agent; an inorganic salt (such as ammonium, potassium and sodium salts including perchlorates and nitrates); an emulsifier (including, for example, sorbitan monooleate, tartaric acid, isopropyl esters of lanolin fatty acids, substituted oxazolines and polyisobutyl succinic anhydride (PIBSA)) or any combination thereof.

[0064] In certain embodiments, the emulsion explosive composition includes a microbial-based product comprising a biosurfactant used in raw form. In addition to the biosurfactant, the raw form may include a fermentation broth in which the microorganism producing the biosurfactant is cultured, residual microbial cell material or live or inactive microbial cells, residual nutrients and / or other microbial growth byproducts. For example, by weight, the product may be at least 1%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% broth. For example, by weight, the amount of biomass in the product may be anywhere from 0% to 100% (including all percentages therebetween).

[0065] In certain embodiments, the biosurfactant is extracted from the fermentation broth and optionally purified prior to use.

[0066] The biosurfactant according to the present invention can be a glycolipid (such as sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, cellobiose lipids, mannoerythritol lipids and trehalose lipids), a lipopeptide (such as surfactin, iturin, fengycin, actin and lichenin), a yellow lipid, a phospholipid (such as cardiolipin), a fatty acid ester compound, a fatty acid ether compound and / or a high molecular weight polymer (such as lipoprotein, lipopolysaccharide-protein complex and polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complex).

[0067] In certain specific embodiments, the biosurfactant is a sophorolipid (SLP), including linear SLP, lactone SLP, acetylated SLP, deacetylated SLP, salt-form SLP derivatives, esterified SLP derivatives, amino acid-SLP conjugates, and other SLP derivatives or isomers present in nature and / or synthetic production. In a preferred embodiment, the SLP is a linear SLP or a derivatized linear SLP. In certain embodiments, the subject composition may contain lactone and linear SLP, at least about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 90% or about 95% of the SLP is in linear form, and the rest is in lactone form.

[0068] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant may be included in the composition at 0.01% to 99.9%, 0.1% to 90%, 0.5% to 80%, 0.75% to 70%, 1.0% to 50%, 1.5% to 25% or 2.0% to 15% by weight relative to the total emulsion explosive composition.

[0069] In another embodiment, the purified biosurfactant may be added with an acceptable carrier, wherein the biosurfactant may be present in a concentration of 0.001 to 50% (v / v), preferably 0.01 to 20% (v / v), more preferably 0.02 to 5% (v / v).

[0070] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant can be included in the composition at, for example, 0.01 to 100000 ppm, 0.05 to 10000 ppm, 0.1 to 1000 ppm, 0.5 to 750 ppm, 1.0 to 500 ppm, 2.0 to 250 ppm, or 3.0 to 100 ppm relative to the amount of the object and / or surface being treated.

[0071] In certain embodiments, the chemical surfactant of the emulsion explosive composition is a detergent, a wetting agent, an emulsifier, a foaming agent and / or a dispersant. In some embodiments, the chemical surfactant may be included in the composition at 0.01% to 99.9%, 0.1% to 90%, 0.5% to 80%, 0.75% to 70%, 1.0% to 50%, 1.5% to 25% or 2.0% to 15% by weight relative to the total emulsion explosive composition.

[0072] In certain embodiments, the concentrations of the fuel of the continuous phase and the liquid oxidant of the discontinuous phase may vary depending on the exact composition of the phases and any other additives. In certain embodiments, the fuel is about 4 wt % to about 30 wt %, or about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of the emulsion explosive. Preferably, the liquid oxidant constitutes about 70 wt % to about 98 wt % or about 85 wt % to about 95 wt % of the composition. The biosurfactant preferably constitutes about 0.25 wt % to about 5 wt % of the composition.

[0073] In certain embodiments, the solid fuel is aluminum pellets, a carbonaceous material (such as jet asphalt or coal), a plant grain (such as wheat), or sulfur.

[0074] In certain embodiments, the liquid fuel is a mineral oil, silicone oil, wax, paraffin oil, esters (e.g., dioctyl adipate and isodecyl nonanoate), petroleum distillates (e.g., gasoline, kerosene, and diesel), vegetable oils (e.g., corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil), aliphatic or aromatic nitro compounds, or chlorinated hydrocarbons.

[0075] In certain embodiments, the inorganic salts are ammonium, potassium, and sodium perchlorates and nitrates.

[0076] In certain embodiments, the emulsifier is sorbitan monooleate, tartaric acid, isopropyl ester of lanolin fatty acid, a substituted oxazoline, or polyisobutylsuccinic anhydride (PIBSA).

[0077] The emulsion explosive composition may further comprise other additives, for example, carriers, other microbial based compositions, additional biosurfactants, enzymes, catalysts, solvents, organic salts, buffers, chelating agents, acids, lubricants, solubility control agents, preservatives, stabilizers, UV inhibitors, viscosity modifiers, corrosion inhibitors, tracers, biocides and other microorganisms and other ingredients specific for the intended use.

[0078] In certain embodiments, the chelating agent can be ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), phosphonates, dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), N-acetylcysteine, n-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), organic acids with more than one coordinating group (such as erythrine), STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate, Na5P3O10), trisodium phosphate (TSP), water, carbohydrates, organic acids with more than one coordinating group (such as citric acid), lipids, steroids, amino acids or related compounds (such as glutathione), peptides, phosphates, nucleotides, tetrapyrroles, ferrochlore, ionophores, phenols, sodium citrate, sodium gluconate , ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS), iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), L-glutamic acid diacetic acid (GLDA), GLDA-Na4, methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA), polyaspartic acid (PASA), hemoglobin, chlorophyll, lipophilic β-diketone, and (14,16)-triacontanedione, ethylenediamine-N,N'-diglutaric acid (EDDG), ethylenediamine-N,N'-dimalonic acid (EDDM), 3-hydroxy-2,2-iminodisuccinic acid (HIDS), 2-hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid (HEIDA), pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDA), trimethylglycine (TMG), Tiron or any combination thereof, but not limited thereto.

[0079] In certain embodiments, the emulsion explosives of embodiments of the present invention can be prepared using conventional procedures known in the art. In certain embodiments, the liquid oxidizer, fuel, and biosurfactant solution are approximately equal in temperature when combined. The temperature is preferably within the range in which the oxidizer remains liquid. Therefore, the selected temperature depends on the specific oxidizer selected. The resulting mixture can be stirred or otherwise vigorously mixed to produce an emulsion of the liquid oxidizer in the continuous liquid fuel phase. The stirring should continue until the formulation is uniform. The preparation process can also be completed in a continuous manner known in the art. Various modifications can be made to the above-mentioned techniques. In certain embodiments, the biosurfactant can be dissolved in the liquid organic fuel before the organic fuel is combined with the liquid oxidizer to form an emulsion. This method allows the emulsion to form quickly without excessive stirring. However, if desired, the emulsifier can be added separately as a third component, the emulsifier can also be combined with the liquid oxidizer, or independently combined with the liquid oxidizer and the liquid organic fuel before the liquid oxidizer and the liquid organic fuel are mixed.

[0080] How to use emulsion explosives

[0081] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for detonating explosives at various sites, including mining sites, tunneling sites, quarries, construction sites, and roads. In certain specific embodiments, emulsion explosives can be used to replace geological formations and existing human structures, such as infrastructure, roads, buildings, and bridges. The elements described in the present invention are not an exhaustive survey of all applications.

[0082] In certain embodiments, the mining site can be a coal mine, an iron ore mine (such as taconite), a copper mine, a copper-nickel mine, a tin mine, a nickel mine, a gold mine, a silver mine, a molybdenum mine, an aluminum mine (such as bauxite, kyanite), a lead-zinc mine, a tungsten mine, a phosphate mine, a potash mine, a mica mine, a bentonite mine, or a zinc mine. The mine can be an underground mine, an open-pit mine, an alluvial mine, or an in-situ mine. In certain embodiments, the road can be an asphalt, asphalt, a dirt road (such as dirt and gravel), or a concrete road. The road surface can be used for semi-trailer trucks or other industrial machinery (including, for example, excavators or dump trucks), or as a car, bicycle, or motorcycle runway. In certain embodiments, the construction site can be a site for the production of the following buildings: commercial buildings (such as offices or warehouses); residential buildings (such as single-family or multi-family homes); industrial facilities (including, for example, factories); or infrastructure projects (such as roads, bridges, waterways, or sewers). In certain embodiments, a quarry may extract chalk, clay, cinder, coal, sand, gravel, coquina, diabase, gabbro, granite, gritstone, gypsum, limestone, marble, ore, phosphate rock, quartz, sandstone, slate, travertine, or any combination thereof.

[0083] In certain embodiments, the microorganism-containing and / or biosurfactant-containing compositions can improve the stability of oxidant droplets in a continuous phase (e.g., fuel) (i.e., inhibit or reduce crystallization of the oxidant), particularly in a temperature range comprising less than about 150°C, about 125°C, about 100°C, about 90°C, about 80°C, about 75°C, about 70°C, about 65°C, about 60°C, about 55°C, about 50°C, about 45°C, about 40°C, about 35°C, about 32°C, about 30°C or less.

[0084] In certain embodiments, the composition containing microorganisms and / or containing biosurfactants can stabilize droplets (i.e., discontinuous phase) suspended in a liquid continuous phase. This can also increase the total surface area of ​​all droplets in the continuous phase. The increase in droplet surface area makes the explosion more efficient and produces a greater explosion velocity. In certain embodiments, the explosion velocity can reach about 18,000 feet per second to about 25,000 feet per second (5490 meters per second to 7620 meters per second), which is determined by the amount of surface area of ​​the discontinuous phase. The continuous phase of the fuel surrounds each discontinuous phase droplet of the inorganic oxidant, providing a large interfacial surface area between the two phases.

[0085] In certain embodiments, the compositions can reduce the effects of low temperatures or the presence of water on the effectiveness of emulsion explosives, particularly during blasting.

[0086] In certain embodiments, compared with conventional emulsion explosive compositions, compositions containing microorganisms and / or containing biosurfactants have a longer life due to their reduced formation of crystals in oxidant droplets. In certain embodiments, the emulsion explosive composition according to the present invention is effective due to the stability of droplets mediated by amphiphiles in the continuous phase. In some embodiments, sophorolipids or other biosurfactants act as a means for promoting the strength of the interfacial film in the composition. The interfacial film is formed between two immiscible phases (continuous phase and discontinuous phase) of the composition. For example, in some embodiments, sophorolipids will form micelles containing oxidant droplets (i.e., discontinuous phase), wherein the size of the micelles is less than 1 mm, 100 μm, 10 μm, 1 μm, 100 nm, less than 50 nm, less than 25 nm, less than 15 nm or less than 10 nm. In certain embodiments, biosurfactants can inhibit the aggregation of droplets in the continuous phase.

[0087] The emulsion explosive compositions of the present invention may be used on a variety of inorganic or organic objects, such as roads, paths, rocks, ores (e.g., coal, asbestos, iron, copper, tin, nickel, gold, silver or zinc), wood, steel, iron, paint, plastic, paper, silk, glass, cotton, concrete, plaster, clay, plaster, plastic, rubber or soil. The compositions may be used on objects that exist in a range of temperatures, water environments or other conditions.

[0088] The composition can be applied to the surface by spraying using, for example, a spray can or a pressurized spray device. The composition can also be applied using a cloth or brush, wherein the composition is wiped, smeared or brushed onto the surface. Further, the composition can be applied to the surface by dipping, soaking or immersing the surface into a container containing the composition.

[0089] In certain embodiments, the emulsion explosive composition may be applied to an object or surface before initiating the explosion. In certain embodiments, the method includes applying the emulsion explosive composition in liquid form to an object or surface for at least about 1 second, about 1 minute, about 10 minutes, about 1 hour, about 2 hours, about 3 hours, about 4 hours, about 5 hours, about 6 hours, about 12 hours, about 18 hours, about 1 day, about 2 days, about 3 days, about 7 days, about 14 days, about 21 days, about 1 month, about 3 months or longer before initiating the explosion. In certain embodiments, the explosion may be initiated using a detonator, such as an instantaneous and delayed type electric bursting cap, a bursting cap used with a safety fuse, a detonating cord delay connector, and a non-electric instantaneous and delayed bursting cap using a detonating cord, a shock tube, or any other electric leg line substitute.

[0090] In certain embodiments, the emulsion explosive composition is applied in an amount of about 0.00001 to 15%, about 0.00001 to 10%, about 0.0001 to 5%, about 0.001 to 3%, about 0.01% or about 1 vol% depending on the amount of objects to be blasted.

[0091] In certain embodiments, the methods of the present invention result in at least a 25% increase in the stability of the oxidant droplets in the composition, preferably at least a 50% increase.

[0092] Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the emulsion explosive composition according to the present invention provides improved or enhanced blast efficiency and stability of the emulsion explosive composition with limited negative environmental impact. In addition, the method of the present invention does not require complex equipment or high energy consumption, and the production of the emulsion explosive composition can be carried out on site (including, for example, mines or roads). In certain embodiments, the emulsion explosive composition can result in a reduction in the use of chemical surfactants or other potentially harmful chemicals.

[0093] Production of microbial-based products

[0094] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides methods for cultivating microorganisms and producing microbial metabolites and / or other microbial growth byproducts. The present invention further utilizes culture techniques suitable for cultivating microorganisms and producing microbial metabolites on a desired scale. These culture techniques include, but are not limited to, submerged culture / fermentation, solid state fermentation (SSF), and modifications, mixing, and / or combinations thereof.

[0095] Microorganisms can be, for example, bacteria, yeasts and / or fungi. These microorganisms can be natural microorganisms or genetically modified microorganisms. For example, microorganisms can be modified with specific genes to exhibit specific characteristics. These microorganisms can also be mutants of the desired strain. As used herein, "mutant" refers to a strain, genetic variant or subtype of a reference microorganism, wherein the mutant has one or more genetic variations (e.g., point mutations, missense mutations, nonsense mutations, deletions, duplications, frameshift mutations or repeat amplifications) compared to the reference microorganism. The procedures for making mutants are well known in the microbiology field. For example, ultraviolet mutagenesis and nitrosoguanidine are widely used for this purpose.

[0096] In certain embodiments, the microorganism is capable of producing amphiphilic molecules, enzymes, proteins and / or biopolymers. In particular, microbial biosurfactants can be produced by a variety of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and yeast, including, for example: Agrobacterium (such as Agrobacterium radiobacter); Arthrobacter; Aspergillus; Pullulan (such as Pullulan); Azotobacter (such as Azotobacter vinlandii, Azotobacter rotundi); Azospirillum (such as Azospirillum brasiliensis); Bacillus (such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus firmus, Bacillus laterosporus); Bacillus, Bacillus megaterium); Blakeslea; Candida (e.g., Candida albicans, Candida rugosa, Candida tropicalis, Candida lipolytica, Candida torulopsis); Clostridium (e.g., Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, Clostridium acetobutylicum, and Clostridium beijerinckii); Campylobacter; Corynebacterium; Cryptococcus; Debaryomyces (e.g., Debaryomyces hansenii); Entomophthora; Flavobacterium; Gordonia; Hansenula; Hansenula sporangiophora (e.g., Hansenula vinifera); Issatchenia; Kluyveromyces; Meyer yeast (such as Meyer yeast guillemot); Mortierella; Mycorrhiza; Mycobacterium; Nocardia; Pichia (such as Pichia anomala, Pichia guillemot, Pichia occidentalis, Pichia kudriazia); Phycomyces; Pythium; Pseudomonas (such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas fragariae, Pseudomonas syringae); Saccharomyces (such as Saccharomyces aphidophorus); Ralstonia (such as Eutropha eutropha) erythrocytes); Rhodococcus (e.g., Rhodococcus erythropolis); Rhodospirillum (e.g., Rhodospirillum crimson); Rhizobium; Rhizopus; Saccharomyces (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces boulardii, Torulella); Sphingomonas (e.g., Sphingomonas paucimobilis); Stamosaccharomyces (e.g., Stamosaccharomyces bumblebee); Thraustochytrium; Torulopsis; Ustilago (e.g., Ustilago maydis); Wickham's yeast (e.g., Wickham's yeast anomala); Pseudomonas; and / or Zygosaccharomyces (e.g., Zygosaccharomyces bailii).

[0097] In a preferred embodiment, the microorganism is a yeast of the genus Starmosaccharomyces and / or a yeast of the genus Candida, such as Starmosaccharomyces bombus (Candida), Candida mellifera, Candida batista, Candida floridana, Candida doxigensis, Candida asteroidea and / or Candida kohlii. In a specific embodiment, the microorganism is Starmosaccharomyces bombus, such as strain ATCC 22214.

[0098] As used herein, "fermentation" refers to the cultivation or growth of cells under controlled conditions. Growth can be aerobic or anaerobic. In a preferred embodiment, SSF and / or its modified versions are used to culture microorganisms.

[0099] In one embodiment, the invention provides materials and methods for producing biomass (eg, living cell material), extracellular metabolites (eg, small molecules and excreted proteins), residual nutrients, and / or intracellular components (eg, enzymes and other proteins).

[0100] The microorganism growth container used according to the present invention can be any fermenter or culture reactor used in industry. In one embodiment, the container can have a functional operating device / sensor, or can be connected to a functional operating device / sensor to measure important factors in the culture process, such as pH, oxygen, pressure, temperature, humidity, microorganism density and / or metabolite concentration.

[0101] In another embodiment, the container can also monitor the growth of microorganisms in the container (e.g., measuring the number of cells and the stage of growth). Alternatively, samples can be taken from the container every day and counted by techniques known in the art (such as dilution plating). Dilution plating is a simple technique for estimating the number of organisms in a sample. This technique can also provide an index by which different environments or treatments can be compared.

[0102] In one embodiment, the method includes supplementing the culture with a nitrogen source. The nitrogen source can be, for example, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonia, urea and / or ammonium chloride. These nitrogen sources can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0103] This method can provide oxygenation for the growing culture. One embodiment is to remove the low oxygen air using a slow flow of air and introduce oxygen-rich air. In the case of submerged fermentation, the oxygen-rich air can be ambient air that is replenished daily by a mechanical device that includes an impeller for mechanically agitating the liquid and an air distributor for providing bubbles to the liquid to dissolve oxygen into the liquid.

[0104] The method further comprises supplementing the culture with a carbon source. The carbon source is usually: carbohydrates, such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, fructose, trehalose, mannose, mannitol and / or maltose; organic acids, such as acetic acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, propionic acid, malic acid, malonic acid and / or pyruvic acid; alcohols, such as ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, isobutanol and / or glycerol; oils, such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, olive oil, corn oil, sesame oil and / or linseed oil; etc. These carbon sources can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0105] In one embodiment, the growth factor and micronutrients for microorganisms are contained in the culture medium. When the culture can not produce the microorganism of required all vitamins, this is particularly preferred. Inorganic nutrients may also be included in the culture medium, including trace elements such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum and / or cobalt. In addition, the source of vitamins, essential amino acids and trace elements may be included in the form of flour or meal (such as corn flour) or extract (such as yeast extract, potato extract, beef extract, soybean extract, banana peel extract, etc.) or purified form. Amino acids useful for the biosynthesis of proteins may also be included.

[0106] In one embodiment, inorganic salts may also be included. Available inorganic salts may be potassium dihydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium chloride, ferric sulfate, ferric chloride, manganese sulfate, manganese chloride, zinc sulfate, lead chloride, copper sulfate, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium carbonate and / or sodium carbonate. These inorganic salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0107] In some embodiments, the culturing method may further include adding additional acid and / or antimicrobial agents to the culture medium before and / or during the culturing process. Antimicrobial agents or antibiotics are used to protect the culture from contamination.

[0108] Additionally, antifoaming agents may be added to prevent the formation and / or accumulation of foam during submerged culture.

[0109] The pH of the mixture should be appropriate for the microorganism of interest. Buffers and pH adjusters (such as carbonates and phosphates) can be used to stabilize the pH around the preferred value. When metal ions are present in higher concentrations, it may be necessary to use a chelating agent in the culture medium.

[0110] The microorganisms can be grown in planktonic form or as a biofilm. In the case of a biofilm, there can be a substrate within the container on which the microorganisms can grow in a biofilm state. The system may also have the ability to, for example, apply a stimulus (such as shear stress) to promote and / or improve the growth characteristics of the biofilm.

[0111] In one embodiment, the culture method of the microorganism is carried out at about 5° to about 100° C., preferably 15 to 60° C., more preferably 25 to 50° C. In another embodiment, the culture can be continuously carried out at a constant temperature. In another embodiment, the culture may be affected by temperature changes.

[0112] In one embodiment, the method and the equipment used in the culture process are sterile. The culture equipment (such as a reactor / container) can be separated from the sterilization unit (such as an autoclave), but connected thereto. The culture equipment can also have a sterilization unit that is sterilized in situ before starting inoculation. The air can be sterilized by methods known in the art. For example, ambient air can pass through at least one filter before being introduced into the container. In other embodiments, the culture medium can be pasteurized, or optionally not heated at all, making full use of the application of low water activity and low pH to control unwanted bacterial growth.

[0113] In one embodiment, the present invention further provides a method for producing microbial metabolites (e.g., biosurfactants, enzymes, proteins, ethanol, lactic acid, beta-glucans, peptides, metabolic intermediates, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and lipids) and optionally purifying metabolites by culturing the microbial strain of the present invention under conditions suitable for growth and metabolite production. For example, the metabolite content produced by the method can be at least 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%.

[0114] Microbial growth byproducts produced by the microorganism of interest may be retained in the microorganism or secreted into the growth medium. The medium may contain compounds that stabilize the activity of the microbial growth byproducts.

[0115] For example, the biomass content of the fermentation medium may be from 5 g / l to 180 g / l or more, or from 10 g / l to 150 g / l.

[0116] For example, the cell concentration can be at least 1 x 10 6 Up to 1x 10 12 , 1x 10 7 Up to 1x 10 11 , 1x 10 8 Up to 1x 10 10 or 1x 10 9 CFU / ml.

[0117] The methods and apparatus for culturing microorganisms and producing microbial byproducts can be performed in a batch, in a quasi-continuous process, or in a continuous process.

[0118] In one embodiment, once the culture is complete (eg, a desired cell density or density of a particular metabolite is reached), all of the microbial culture composition is removed. In this batch procedure, after the first batch is harvested, a completely new batch is started.

[0119] In another embodiment, only a portion of the fermentation product is removed at any time. In this embodiment, the biomass with living cells, spores, conidia, hyphae and / or mycelium remains in the container as an inoculant for a new culture batch. The removed composition can be a cell-free culture medium, or contain cells, spores or other reproductive propagules, and / or a combination thereof. In this way, a quasi-continuous system is created.

[0120] Advantageously, the method does not require complex equipment or high energy consumption. The microorganisms of interest can be cultured and utilized on site, either on a small or large scale, even while still mixed with their culture medium.

[0121] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a "microorganism-based composition", which means a composition that includes components produced by the growth of microorganisms or other cell cultures. Therefore, a microorganism-based composition can include the microorganisms themselves and / or byproducts of microorganism growth. The microorganism can be in a vegetative state, in spore form, in hyphae form, in any other propagule form, or a mixture of these forms. The microorganism can be planktonic or in a biofilm form, or a mixture of the two. Growth byproducts can be, for example, metabolites, cell membrane components, expressed proteins, and / or other cellular components. The microorganism can be intact or lysed. The microorganism can be present in the composition or removed from the composition. The microorganism can be present in the microorganism-based composition together with the broth in which they grow. For example, the cells can be present at a concentration of at least 1x 10 per ml of the composition. 3 , 1x 10 4 , 1x 10 5 , 1x 10 6 , 1x 10 7 , 1x 10 8 , 1x 10 9 , 1x 10 10 , 1x 10 11 , 1x10 12 , 1x 10 13 CFU or more.

[0122] The present invention further provides "based on microbial products", i.e., products that are applied in practice to achieve the desired result. Based on microbial products can be only compositions based on microorganisms gathered in the microbial culture process. Or, based on microbial products can include further components that have been added. For example, these additional components can include stabilizers, acids, buffers, carriers (such as water, saline solutions or any other suitable carriers), added nutrients that support the further growth of microorganisms, non-nutritional growth enhancers and / or preparations that help to track microorganisms and / or compositions in the environment of application. Based on microbial products can also include mixtures based on compositions based on microorganisms. Based on microbial products can also include one or more components of compositions based on microorganisms that have been processed in some way (such as but not limited to filtration, centrifugation, cracking, drying, purification, etc.).

[0123] A microbial-based product of the present invention is simply a fermentation medium containing the microorganism and / or microbial metabolites produced by the microorganism and / or any residual nutrients. The fermentation product can be used directly without extraction or purification. If necessary, extraction and purification can be easily achieved using standard extraction and / or purification methods or techniques described in the literature.

[0124] The microorganisms in the microbial-based products can be in active or inactive form, and can also be in the form of vegetative cells, reproductive spores, conidia, mycelium, hyphae, or any other form of microbial propagation. The microbial-based products can also contain any combination of these forms of microorganisms.

[0125] In one embodiment, different microbial strains are cultured separately and then mixed together to produce a microbial-based product.The microorganisms may optionally be mixed with a culture medium in which they were grown and dried prior to mixing.

[0126] Microbial-based products can be used without further stabilization, preservation, and storage. Advantageously, direct use of these microbial-based products can maintain high microbial viability, reduce the possibility of contamination by foreign agents and unwanted microorganisms, and maintain the activity of microbial growth byproducts.

[0127] After the microbial-based composition is harvested from the growth container, further components may be added when the harvested product is placed in a container or otherwise transported for use. For example, the additive may be a buffer, a carrier, other microbial-based compositions produced in the same or different facilities, a viscosity modifier, a preservative, a microbial growth nutrient, a surfactant, an emulsifier, a lubricant, a solubility control agent, a tracking agent, a solvent, a bactericide, an antibiotic, a pH adjuster, a chelating agent, a stabilizer, an anti-ultraviolet agent, other microorganisms, and other suitable additives commonly used in such preparations.

[0128] Alternatively, the product is stored before use. The storage time is preferably short. Thus, the storage time may be less than 60 days, 45 days, 30 days, 20 days, 15 days, 10 days, 7 days, 5 days, 3 days, 2 days, 1 day or 12 hours. In a preferred embodiment, if living cells are present in the product, the product should be stored at low temperatures (e.g., less than 20° C., 15° C., 10° C. or 5° C.). On the other hand, the biosurfactant composition is typically stored at ambient temperature.

Claims

1. A method for initiating an explosion, the method comprising: a) contacting an emulsion explosive composition comprising a biosurfactant with an object and / or surface; as well as b) initiating explosion of the emulsion explosive composition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object or surface is located in a mine, a quarry, a tunnel excavation, a construction site or a road.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the mining site is a coal mine, an iron ore mine, a copper mine, a copper-nickel mine, a tin mine, a nickel mine, a gold mine, a silver mine, a molybdenum mine, an aluminum mine, a lead-zinc mine, a tungsten mine, a phosphate mine, a potash mine, a mica mine, a bentonite mine or a zinc mine.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the quarry contains chalk, clay, cinder, coal, sand, gravel, coquina, diabase, gabbro, granite, gritstone, gypsum, limestone, marble, ore, phosphate rock, quartz, sandstone, slate, travertine, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a chemical surfactant, water, a solid fuel, a liquid fuel, a cross-linking agent, an oxidizing agent, an inorganic salt, an emulsifier, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the inorganic salt is an ammonium, potassium or sodium salt.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the ammonium salt is ammonium nitrate.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the emulsion explosive composition is in liquid form and wherein the contacting step comprises spraying or pouring the composition onto the object or surface.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biosurfactant is a glycolipid and / or a yeast culture containing a glycolipid.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the yeast culture is Stamosaccharomyces and / or Candida yeast.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the glycolipid is a sophorolipid, a mannoerythritol lipid, a trehalolipid, a rhamnolipid, or any combination thereof.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sophorolipid is a linear sophorolipid or a lactone sophorolipid.

13. A method of stabilizing an emulsion explosive composition, the method comprising contacting a biosurfactant with an oxidizer and a fuel.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the emulsion explosive composition is stabilised by one or a combination of the following: a) inhibiting the crystallization of the oxidizing agent; or b) Inhibit the aggregation of oxidants.

15. An emulsion explosive composition comprising a biosurfactant and / or a yeast culture comprising a biosurfactant and one or more conventional emulsion explosive ingredients.

16. The composition according to claim 15, wherein the biosurfactant is rhamnolipid, sophorolipid, cellobiose lipid, mannoerythritol lipid, trehalose lipid, lipopeptide, yellow lipid, phospholipid, fatty acid ester compound, fatty acid ether compound or any combination thereof.

17. The composition according to claim 15, wherein the yeast culture is Stamosaccharomyces and / or Candida yeast.

18. The composition according to claim 16, wherein the sophorolipid is a linear sophorolipid or a lactone sophorolipid.

19. The composition of claim 15, wherein the emulsion explosive component is selected from one or a combination of the following components: a) chemical surfactants; b) water; c) solid fuels; d) liquid fuels; e) a cross-linking agent; f) oxidizing agents; g) inorganic salts; or h) Emulsifiers.

20. The composition of claim 19, wherein the inorganic salt is an ammonium, potassium or sodium salt.

21. The composition of claim 20, wherein the ammonium salt is ammonium nitrate.

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