COMMINUTED CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL, AQUEOUS SUSPENSIONS THEREOF AND METHODS FOR THE PREPARATION OF SAID COMMINUTED MATERIAL AND SAID SUSPENSIONS

摘要

Water-soluble crystalline material which has been comminuted in a saturated aqueous solution of the material in the presence of a water-soluble crystal-growth inhibitor having a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion in its molecular structure is mixed with a deflocculant which inhibits the interaction of the hydrophobic molecular portions whenever the comminuted solid is suspended in water. The viscosity of aqueous suspensions of comminuted solid is thereby stabilized. The invention is especially beneficial in the preparation of aqueous suspensions of finely comminuted ammonium nitrate for use in slurry blasting explosives. With crystal-growth inhibitors such as water-soluble polysaccharide derivatives, long chain aliphatic amines, polyacrylic acids, sulphonated nuclear aromatic compounds, sulphonated dyes or sulphonated polymers the preferred deflocculant, which should be different from the crystal-growth inhibitor, may include water-soluble polysaccharide derivatives, polyacrylic acid, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, sodium lignosulphonate and/or a salt of a condensate of naphthalene sulphonic acid with formaldehyde.