Introduction to Orica Mining

Services North America

Types of Explosives

Technical Training
Orica USA Inc
 Types of Explosives
Generally speaking, there are two types of explosives:

Low Explosives (e.g., black powder)

These explosives deflagrate (i.e., burn at a slow rate) rather
than detonate and produce lower pressures; used more as
propellants

High Explosives (e.g., NG, dynamite)

These explosives detonate very rapidly and produce
extremely high gas pressures; used more to break and
move large objects
 Black Powder
(also known as Gunpowder)
• Invented in 9th century by Chinese alchemists
• Burns by deflagration vs. detonation (Low Explosive)
so better suited as a propellant than a blasting product

Ingredients are:
• saltpetre (KNO3) - oxidizer
• sulfur (S) - fuel
• charcoal or sugar (C) - fuel
 Black Powder

Typical applications include:

• firearms (powder rifles), ammo (bullets) & cannons
• fireworks and fuses/primers
• signal flares and blank rounds
• limited blasting applications
 Nitroglycerine (NG)

• NG 1st discovered by Ascario Sobrero in 1846

• Ingredients include nitric acid, sulfuric acid, glycerine

• In pure form, NG is a
contact explosive which
reacts via detonation
(i.e., High Explosive)

• Uses include dynamites, heart medication,

fuel in dragsters (Nitro dragsters, funny
cars)
 Dynamite

• In 1867, Alfred Nobel mixed NG with absorbants to

produce dynamite – also blasting caps
• From the Greek dynamis meaning “power”
• Numerous applications in blasting
• Many dynamites have been replaced by
less expensive, AN-based products
such as watergels and emulsions
Dynamite is not TNT !
 Ammonium Nitrate (AN)
• Is an essential ingredient in nearly all commercial
explosives
• AN-based explosives represent over 80% of U.S.
commercial explosives market
• NH3 + HNO3 ------> NH4NO3

• Production of AN prills comes in 2 forms:

(1) Agricultural grade – used as fertilizer
(2) Blasting grade – used as oxidizer in explosives
Ammonium Nitrate (AN)
Prill Synthesis
83% - 86% AN Solution

Evaporator
Blasting Grade Ag Grade

Prilled at Prilled at
96% - 97% 99% Melt
Melt

Predryer Bypass Dryers

Dryer Cooler

Screen

Coater Oversize &

Fines to
Recycle
Prill Tower Prills to Storage
 Ammonium Nitrate (AN)

Blasting grade AN prills have these main properties:

• resist crushing (low friability)

Prills Fines
 Ammonium Nitrate (AN)

Blasting grade AN prills have these main properties:

• have a low density
• are affected by cycles (low, high) in temperature

Avoid crystallization!
 Ammonium Nitrate (AN)
Blasting grade AN prills have these main properties:
• have low moisture content (no caking)
• have a porous surface for better fuel absorbency
 AN & Fuel Oil (ANFO)

• Is the simplest commercial explosive available

• Composed of a mixture of
AN (94%) and #2 Diesel
Fuel Oil (6%) by weight –
This ratio is critical!

• ANFO can be poured, packaged

and mixed with emulsions for a
variety of blasting needs
• Packaged ANFO is called Amex™
 ANFO
Factors affecting the performance of ANFO
• size of borehole into which it is placed (confinement)
• % of Fuel Oil in ANFO mixture

4" Confined Pipe

Explosive Velocity

Unconfined

Fuel Oil
%
 ANFO
Factors affecting the performance of ANFO
• moisture in borehole desensitizes ANFO
(not water resistant)

dry boreholes damp boreholes wet boreholes

• the booster used to

detonate ANFO
 ANFO
Factors affecting the performance of ANFO
• density of ANFO used

pneumatic
loading

ANFO @ ANFO @
0.82-0.88 g/cc 0.95-1.05 g/cc
 Emulsions
• Emulsions were developed in 1960s
but not commercialized until 1970s
• By the 1980s, they replaced most slurries, watergels
• Currently they supply 15-16% of the commercial
explosives market
• Emulsions make up the greatest
diversity of explosives products
 Emulsions

Watergels

Example: Jello

Emulsions

Example: Miracle Whip

 Emulsions
An emulsion is an intimate mixture of 2 immiscible liquids
where one liquid is uniformly dispersed throughout the
other liquid

Continuous Phase – fuel (oil)

Dispersed Phase – oxidizers (AN)

Interface - emulsifiers

oil-soluble “head”

water-soluble “tail”

Emulsifier Molecule
 Emulsions
The properties of emulsions allowed for the advancement
of bulk delivery systems for explosives such as Orica’s
Mobile Manufacturing Units® (MMU),

and the ability to manufacture explosive mixtures on site.

 Emulsions

Advantages of emulsion explosives include

• Emulsions are very versatile – can be packaged,
poured, blended
• Have very high explosve energy
• Can be handled safely
• Greater efficiency, reliability
• High degree of water resistance
• Minimized use of chemical sensitizers Some emulsions
 Primafuse ®
Safety Fuse

Powder Train

Iron Staple

Lead Azide / Lead Styphnate

Primer Charge – Primary Explosive

PETN Base Charge –

 Classification of Explosives
Secondary Explosives even can be further
categorized by their composition:
Molecular Mixtures
consisting of a chemically consisting of an oxidizer
pure compound and a fuel
F F FF
F AN

F
AN AN

F AN
AN
AN
AN
AN

AN AN AN
F AN
AN
AN
AN
AN F
ANFO prills
F
AN
F
AN
AN

F F
PETN crystals F F F

oxidizer and fuel are on oxidizer (AN) and fuel (F)

same molecule are on different molecules
 Examples of Explosives
Summary of Explosive Types

High Low
(detonation) (deflagration)
black powder,
gunpowder

Primary Secondary Tertiary

(very sensitive) (insensitive) (very insensitive)
lead azide, ANFO
sodium azide,
lead styphnate

Molecular Mixtures
NG, TNT, PETN, emulsions,
HMX, BDX water gels,
Pentolite
Who says we don’t have a sense of humor?
 ANFO
Factors affecting the performance of ANFO
• density of ANFO used

blended with
polystyrene

Orica Flexigel

ANFO @ ANFO @
0.82-0.88 g/cc 0.46-0.6 g/cc