Investigation of the Influence of Cooling Salts upon the Explosive Performance of Emulsion Explosives

Emulsion explosives modified by the addition of cooling salts have been investigated. Sodium chloride and ammonium chloride were added as cooling agents. The research was carried out to develop emulsion explosives that can be applied in the coal mining industry. The particular requirements for the considered explosives must ensure a low hazard degree when used in the presence of coal dust and/or methane. Experimental determination of the detonation velocity confirmed that the satisfactory performance of the investigated emulsion explosives, modified by the addition of these cooling salts, was preserved. In all of the investigated samples, the detonation velocity was about 4500 m/s, with salt contents of about 10-15%. In order to explore the thermodynamic characteristics of the investigated explosives, the chemical composition as well as the state parameters of the detonation and explosion products were evaluated. In these analyses, the cooling additives were allowed to become involved in chemical reactions during the attainment of thermodynamic equilibrium in the reacting mixture. The results obtained show reciprocal relations between the partial loss of explosive performance (diminution in explosion energy and lowering of the amount of products in the gaseous phase) and the desired reduction in temperature of the explosion products.