Blasting agent

Table 16. Sales of Industrial Explosives and Blasting Agents in the United States, t x 10 ...

Annual Proceedings of the Safety Seminars, Dept, of Defense, Explosive Safety Board, Washington, D.C. International symposia on explosives and closely related subjects are excellent sources of information, ie, international symposia on detonation symposia on combustion symposia on chemical problems connected with the stabiUty of explosives international pyrotechnics seminars symposia on compatibiUty of plastics and other materials with explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics, and processing of explosives, propellants, and ingredients and symposia on explosives and pyrotechnics Mineral Industy Surveys, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, Pa. Periodic pubhcations dedicated primarily to explosive studies in Propellants and Explosives Journal of Ha yardous Materials, and apparent consumption of industrial explosives and blasting agents in the United States. 

In the manufacture of explosives, sodium nitrate is used mainly in blasting agents. In slurries and emulsions, sodium nitrate improves stabiUty and sensitivity. It also improves the energy balance because sodium nitrate replaces water, so that more fuel can be added to the formulation. Sodium nitrate reduces crystal size of slurries, which in turn increases detonating speed. In dynamites sodium nitrate is used as an energy modifier. Typical content of sodium nitrate is 20—50 wt % in dynamites, 5—30 wt % in slurries, and 5—15 wt % in emulsions. Sodium nitrate is used also in permissible dynamites, a special type of dynamite for coal (qv) mining. 

Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardons Chemicals Explosives and Blasting Agents Einal Rnle, Federal Register, Vol. 57, No. 36, Eeh-rnary 24, 1992. 

Qccupational Safety and Health Administration (QSHA) (1992). 29 CFR Part 1910. Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals Explosives and Blasting Agents Final Rule. Federal Register 57, 36 (February 24), 6356-417. 

Nilite. Trademark for a series of DuPont Co nitrocarbonitrate blasting agents Refs 1) Blaster sHndbk (1969), 57ff 2) C.E. Gregory, Explosives for North American Engineers , Trans Tech Publication, Cleveland (1973), 64... 

All NCN blasting agents and each of their components must be cap-insensitive, ie, incapable of being detonated when initiated by a No 8 blasting cap. Both Nitro-Carbonitrates and Amm nitrate are grouped by the ICC as oxidizing materials with normal transportation (yell°w label) being permitted (Ref 1)... 

The chief advantages in NCN blasting agent use are related to economy, efficiency and safety. In certain applications, an overall cost saving of up to 75% over conventional NG expls has been reported. Where used.under well-controlled conditions, it is reported to perform as well as or better than Dynamites, and, by virtue of its greater gas production, may even give better fragmentation. It is safer to handle and use because its hazard sensitivity is low, and misfires are easily and safely resolved. One of its important virtues is that it is not classified as an explosive but when mixed in the correct stoichiometric proportions under preferred physical con-... 

Such slurries are especially useful for transporting expl sensitizers used in aq slurry blasting agents. Thus, a mixt was prepd by stirring together 66% dry Nitrostarch, 39.8% water, and 0.2% Polyhall 295 (a commercial partiaily hydrolyzed polyacrylamide of mw... 

OSHA. 1991. Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals explosives and blasting agents. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Federal Register 57(36) 6356. February 24, 1991. 

Slurry explosives, also known as water-gel explosives or dense blasting agents, resulted from the work of M. A. Cook and others in North America and have now found world-wide application particularly for large scale operations. Whilst slurries are made in many forms to suit almost all types of use, they may be divided into two essentially distinct types ... 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Regulation 29 CFR 1910.119, "Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals Explosives and Blasting Agents", Department of Labor, OSHA, Washington, D.C. May 26,1992. 

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