Water-in-oil emulsion explosive reduces toxic gas emissions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional granular explosives, such as ANFO and emulsion explosives, emit high levels of toxic gases like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) during blasting, posing environmental and health risks, especially in underground mining, and have limitations in storage and handling due to their composition and structure.
Innovation Solution
A granulated explosive based on a water-in-oil emulsion with optimized proportions of oxygen carriers (78-90%), water (5-10%), fuel carriers (3-7%), and emulsifiers (0.1-3%), which reduces toxic gas emissions and improves energy content, storage stability, and handling properties by eliminating hollow microspheres and using a firmer, more stable composition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional granular explosives (ANFO, ANC) are used, then high energy content and blasting power are achieved, but high levels of toxic gases (NOx, CO) are emitted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using emulsion explosives with specific ratios of oxygen carriers (ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate), fuel carriers (paraffin, stearic acid), water (5-10%), and emulsifiers (0.1-3%). This parameter optimization reduces toxic gas emissions while maintaining blasting performance through controlled reaction chemistry.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite emulsion explosives combining multiple components: oxygen carriers, fuel carriers, water, and emulsifiers in a unified emulsion structure. This composite approach allows synergistic reactions that reduce harmful emissions while maintaining effective blasting through balanced energy release from multiple chemical components.
2Reliability
If emulsion explosives with hollow microspheres are used, then detonation capability is improved, but mechanical strength is reduced and packaging is limited to small units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes hollow microspheres from the explosive composition entirely. Instead, it achieves detonation capability through the emulsion structure itself, where the finely dispersed fuel droplets in the continuous phase provide sufficient sensitivity and detonation propagation without requiring external sensitizing agents like hollow microspheres.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and structural parameters of the explosive by using a continuous emulsion matrix with finely dispersed fuel phases. This parameter change eliminates the need for hollow microspheres while maintaining detonation capability through the emulsion's inherent structure and composition ratios.
3Stability of the object's composition
If higher water content is used in emulsion explosives, then mixing of reaction partners is improved, but caking tendency increases and storage stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the water content parameter to a specific range of 5-10% and adjusts the emulsifier concentration (0.1-3%) to maintain emulsion stability. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient mixing of reaction partners while preventing excessive caking and maintaining storage stability through controlled moisture levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates local quality differences within the emulsion structure by having finely dispersed fuel droplets throughout the continuous phase. This local distribution ensures uniform mixing of reaction partners at the microscopic level while the overall macro-structure remains stable for storage, preventing caking through controlled local heterogeneity.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional explosives are used in underground mining, then blasting effectiveness is achieved, but environmental pollution and health risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using emulsion explosives with optimized ratios of oxygen carriers, fuel carriers, water, and emulsifiers. This parameter optimization reduces toxic gas emissions (NOx, CO) while maintaining blasting effectiveness through controlled reaction chemistry and energy release.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite emulsion explosives combining multiple components in a unified structure that synergistically reduces harmful emissions while maintaining effective blasting. The composite nature allows balanced energy release from multiple chemical components, reducing toxic byproducts while preserving productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The granulated explosive achieves significantly lower NOx and CO fume volumes, higher detonation velocities, improved storage and handling stability, and reduced caking tendencies, enabling safer and more efficient blasting with reduced contamination risks.
Implementation Method 1
Granulated emulsion explosives represent a further embodiment of such suitable explosives. Here, for example, there is the Landex® product from Kayaku Japan Ltd., in the form of a granular emulsion
Implementation Method 2
The reaction of such explosives is associated with the evolution of comparatively high amounts of toxic blasting fumes
Data Source
AI summary
In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a granulated explosive based on a water-in-oil emulsion with one or more oxygen carriers. water, one or more fuel carriers and emulsifier. The invention also relates to a method for producing a granulated explosive according to the invention based on a water-in-oil emulsion containing oxygen carriers, water, fuel carriers and emulsifier. The invention lastly relates to a granulated explosive obtainable using the method according to the invention and to the use of the granulated explosive according to the invention.