Explosive Properties of Mixtures of Ammonium Nitrate(V) and Materials of Plant Origin – Danger of Unintended Explosion

The addition of many organic substances decreases the thermal stability and increases the explosive properties of ammonium nitrate(V). In order to determine how very material of plant origin would increase the risk of decomposition and explosion of ammonium nitrate(V), tests using the DTA method and the detonation properties were performed. The materials tested were milled ammonium nitrate(V) mixed with wheat flour, hard coal, rape seeds or wood dust. It was found that all of the mixtures tested decompose at significantly lower temperatures than ammonium nitrate(V) and ANFO explosive. Some of them decompose close to the melting temperature of ammonium nitrate(V) and their decomposition is violent. All of the mixtures tested are cap sensitive and some of them have smaller critical diameters than ANFO. The detonation velocities of the mixtures are lower than the detonation velocity of ANFO, but significantly higher than that of ammonium nitrate(V).