Method for Producing an ANFO Explosive Using Ammonium Nitrate and Residual Oils and Product Thus Produced

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing ANFO on the basis of filtration and purification of the residual oils of a mine in a filter truck especially designed and developed for this purpose, with the aim of completely replacing the diesel fuel 2 with said residual oils that have been previously treated in order to mix same with ammonium nitrate, as well as the product resulting from said method. The aim of this invention is to use the residual oil produced in mines in large quantities, as the only combustible agent in the production of ANFO, generating cost savings by completely substituting diesel 2 and additionally eliminating the existing risk inherent in the removal of the residual oil from the mine and the negative impact that it can generate in the environment if it is not used appropriately.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to the field of explosives, specifically to the production of ANFO using residual oils instead of diesel 2. The present invention relates to a method for producing an explosive (ANFO) using ammonium nitrate and residual oils, as well as the product produced by means of this method.PRIOR ART[0002]ANFO is a high-order explosive that is very widely used in the mining industry for blasting as it is very safe and inexpensive, its components can be easily obtained, in addition to the fact that the detonation of ANFO is ultrasonic and the blast is very powerful in relation to the quantity that must be used.[0003]It is widely used in blasting medium to soft rocky soils by introducing powder in blast holes by means of compressed air or in another form of presentation with an emulsion matrix to form heavy ANFO.[0004]The present invention essentially consists of a mixture of ammonium nitrate and petroleum-derived fuel, the conventional product...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is about a method for producing ANFO using residual oils instead of diesel. The method involves treating the residual oils by double filtration and purification to eliminate contaminants and improve safety. The technical effect of this invention is the use of residual oils in the production of ANFO, which reduces the risk of using contaminated recycled oil and eliminates the need for large quantities of diesel.

Problems solved by technology

There is an unfavorable technical opinion with respect to the use of used, recycled or residual oil in the production of ANFO because although it is widely known in the prior art that used oils have also been utilized as fuel, they have the drawbacks of reducing initiation and propagation sensitivity, detonation speed and energy yield.

Due to their high viscosities, they tend to remain on the surface of the ammonium nitrate granules occupying the macropores, so the complete or partial substitution of gas oil (diesel 2 or the like) with used oils is currently not justified from the economic viewpoint due to the drawbacks posed by these products.

In the same sense, European Patent EP2069266 teaches that although residual lubricating oil from vehicles used in the mine can be used as part of a water-in-oil emulsion to produce ANFO, these oils are refractory and difficult to be absorbed into ammonium nitrate itself, so they must be diluted with diesel or with another virgin oil.

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