Mahadevan E.G. Ammonium Nitrate Explosives for Civil Applications: Slurries, Emulsions and Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oils

Wiley-VCH Verlag & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, Germany, 2013. — 222 p. — ISBN: 3527330283.Ammonium nitrate (AN) explosives came into prominence in the last three decades (40 years) for civil applications as it provided a greater margin of safety to the manufacturer and end user as compared to the then popular nitroglycerine (NG) explosives. Due to rapid industrialization over the last 30 years, there has been a surge in mining and infrastructure activities which in turn has triggered high demand for civil explosives at all types of remote and tough locations. Mining methodologyalsounderwentachangetocatertotheserequirementsandhugeopen cast mines which need for their efficient operations large volumes of explosives delivered at mine site are operating in great numbers. Such enhanced requirements could only be satisfied by AN-based civil explosives which can be manufactured in high tonnages with a good margin of safety and low capital investment. Thus in many countries, manufacture and use of NG explosives were reduced drastically or abandoned, and AN explosives were used instead. Rapid development of AN-based explosives for all types of applications including underground gassy coal mines took place between 1970 and 1990 to fill in the void left by NG explosives and a number of patents appeared during this time. Over the years, however, the manufacture in industrial scale has settled down to fairly common practices and raw materials.Classification of Explosives.
Explosive Science.
Ammonium Nitrate Explosives.
Ammonium Nitrate and AN/FO.
Slurries and Water Gels.
Emulsion Explosives.
Research and Development.
Functional Safety during Manufacture of AN Explosives.
Economics of AN-Based Explosives.
Current Status and Concluding Remarks.