Method for the “on-site” manufacture of water-resistant low-density water-gel explosives

摘要

Manufacture is carried out in a continuous manner while simultaneously loading the blast holes in a device with mixing capability where (a) a less sensitive or non-explosive water-based matrix containing a cross-linkable polymer, (b) a cross-linking agent for cross-linking the polymer contained in the matrix, (c) a gas-generating agent, are mixed. The presence of the polymer distributed uniformly in the matrix together with the cross-linking agent results in a three-dimensional network formed by molecular polymer chains bound to one another in a short period of time after mixing. The process can be performed in trucks for loading explosives in blast holes having compartments for the different components of the mixture and one or several mixing devices allowing the manufacture of the final mixture which would be unloaded into the blast holes either by means of a pump or an auger.