The present invention provides a method of stabilizing a nitrate-based explosive through the use of a NOx scavenger. The present invention further provides a blasting agent including ammonium nitrate and a NOx scavenger. The present invention further provides for a method of blasting adapted for use in reactive and/or elevated temperature ground.

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.

Explosive compositions for use in high temperature, reactive ground, or both, are disclosed. The explosive compositions can include an emulsion with a continuous organic fuel phase and a discontinuous oxidizer phase. The oxidizer phase can include one or more Group I or Group II nitrates.

Explosive compositions for use in high temperature, reactive ground, or both, are disclosed. The explosive compositions can include an emulsion with a continuous organic fuel phase and a discontinuous oxidizer phase. The oxidizer phase can include one or more Group I or Group II nitrates.

The present invention relates generally to an explosive composition comprising an aqueous emulsion of: an oxidizer component, a hydrocarbon fuel component containing emulsifier, and a bulking agent being a fuel-type waste material in a solid particulate form substantially lacking rough surfaces and sharp edges. Preferably the composition is of an ammonium nitrate based emulsion and a pelletised bulking agent. It also involves a method of providing an explosive composition to a blast site using a conventional mobile processing unit (MPU), being a truck having separate compartments adapted for holding fuel oil, dry ammonium nitrate prill, and ammonium nitrate based emulsion, where a compartment instead holds particulate waste material. It also concerns a method of blasting soft and wet ground, which comprises injecting into one or more blast holes in the soft and wet ground a sufficient quantity of the composition, and then setting off the composition.

A blasting explosive composition containing a solid inorganic oxidising salt as the oxidizer component, a hydrocarbon liquid as the fuel component, and a binding agent. The composition can also contain an ammonium nitrate based emulsion. The binding agent can increase the water resistance, or increase the sleep time, of the explosive composition, or increase the fuel oil absorbency of the solid inorganic oxidising salt. The binding agent is selected from one or more of a long chain carboxylic acid and its salts and derivatives, especially those having from 8 to 100 or preferably 10 to 50 carbon units. The binding agent may preferably be selected from one or more of: dimer acid, trimer acid, polyisobutylene succinic anhydride, oleic acid, stearic acid, sorbitan tristearate, and their salts and esters.

Explosive compositions including coated urea and an explosive including ammonium nitrate and fuel oil are provided. The explosive compositions can generate reduced levels of nitrogen oxide upon detonation. Methods of loading a blasthole with the explosive compositions and methods of reducing post-blast nitrogen oxide are also provided.

The present invention relates to an emulsion composition for an explosive and to a method of preparing the same, wherein the emulsion composition includes, based on the total weight thereof, 85 to 95 wt % of an oxidizing agent aqueous solution, 0.3 to 5 wt % of an emulsifier, and 3 to 10 wt % of oil, the emulsifier including a PIBSA (polyisobutylene succinic anhydride) amine salt having an acid value of 30 or less and an amine value of 45 to 65, under a precondition that the oxidizing agent aqueous solution includes at least one of industrial ammonium nitrate, agricultural ammonium nitrate and low-specific-gravity ammonium nitrate for an ammonium nitrate fuel oil explosive, which is used without additional filtration or removal of impurities.

The present invention provides an explosive composition comprising from about 2 to about 25 w/w hydrogen peroxide, from greater than 0 and up to about 90% w/w of one or more of other oxidisers. The present invention also provides a method of 5 preparing an explosive composition and use of the explosive composition of the invention to break and move ground, such as in mining operations.

An explosive emulsion composition of the water-in-oil type, comprising: between 80 wt. % and 95 wt. % of an oxidizer phase in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, comprising at least 40 wt. % of ammonium nitrate (AN), and at least 5 wt. % of a secondary nitrate salt, in view of the total weight of the oxidizer phase composition, and between 5 wt. % and 20 wt. % of an organic phase in view of the total weight of the emulsion composition, the organic phase comprising: between 12 wt. % and 50 wt. % of one or more emulsifiers, between 50 wt. % and 88 wt. % of a fuel composition, in view of the total weight of the organic phase composition,
characterized in that the fuel composition comprises between 20 wt. % and 100 wt. % of a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), in view of the total weight of the fuel composition.