GB674517A - Improvements in or relating to ammonium nitrate containing explosive compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

674,517. Ammonium nitrate explosive. ATLAS POWDER CO. Oct. 10, 1950. [Oct. 14, 1949] No. 24706/50. Class 9 (ii). An explosive composition comprises granular ammonium nitrate, a sensitizer, a solid fuel, and a solid finely-divided hydrophilic reaction product of formaldehyde with at least one of the compounds from the group urea, thiourea, and melamine, 0.5-5 per cent of the reaction product may be present, which may be a simple product, e.g. dimethylol urea, or a partially polymerized product with or without setting catalysts, such as acids, acid salts or ammonium salts of strong acids, or fillers, such as wood flour or starch. Preferred products are formaldehyde-urea reacted in the molecular ratio 1.05 : 1 to 2.7 : 1; formaldehyde melamine reacted in the molecular ratio 1 : 1 to 6 : 1; or urea-melamine-formaldehyde, suitable sensitizers, present as 5-20 per cent, are explosive liquid nitric esters, e.g. nitroglycerine, or explosive nitro-aromatic compounds, e.g. trinitrotoluene or trinitronaphthalene, and fuels, present as 4-15 per cent, may be wood pulp, bagasse, ivory nut meal, ground walnut shells, apricot pip pulp, corn flour, charcoal, coal, or sulphur. The ammonium nitrate may be a mixture of wax coated fine and coarse particles. Other ingredients are nitrocotton, fine and coarse sodium nitrate, calcium carbonate, and magnesium carbonate.