Water gel

explosive

A water-gel explosive is a fuel

sensitized explosive mixture
consisting of an aqueous
ammonium nitrate solution that
acts as the oxidizer.[1] Water gels
that are cap-insensitive are
referred to under United States
safety regulations as blasting
agents. Water gel explosives have
a jelly-like consistency and come
in sausage-like packing stapled
shut on both sides.[2]

Tovex, a form of water gel explosive.

Water-gel explosives have almost

completely displaced dynamite,
becoming the most-used civil
blasting agents.
Composition
Water gels usually have many
different ingredients. They contain
a gelatinizing agent, also known
as a thickener, that modifies their
consistency, ranging from easily
pourable gels to hard solids.
Polyvinyl alcohol, guar gum,
dextran gums, and urea-
formaldehyde resins are the
typical gelling agents. Guar,
specifically, is a gelling agent
used for the aqueous portion of
the water gel explosives.[3] The
primary component of water gels
is methylamine nitrate.
Methylamine nitrate is the salt
formed by the neutralization of
methylamine with nitric acid.[4]
Water gel explosives are also
made of ammonium nitrate,
calcium nitrate, aluminum,
ethylene glycol and TNT. The
proportions of these components
vary depending on the desired
explosiveness of the water gel.[5]

Preparation
Water gel explosives are
produced by combining
nitroparaffins, usually
nitromethane, with an aqueous
salt solution and a gelling agent.
These nitroparaffins typically
make up most of the water gel
explosive. Different types of
gelling agents are used to create
the water gel explosive. One
agent is insoluble in water, but
able to gel with nitromethane. The
gel used for nitromethane is
cyanoethylether, a derivative of
galactomannan gum. Other
agents are water-soluble and are
used for the aqueous salt solution.
As referenced in the first
paragraph, water-soluble gums
and gel modifiers like guar can be
used for the gelling of aqueous
solutions. When the salt solution
and nitroparaffin are gelled, the
entire mixture is combined and
mixed together until the desired
consistency is achieved. One
characteristic that allows the
explosive to work so well is the
insoluble nature of the
nitroparaffin. The effectiveness of
the water gels is dependent on
the dissemination of salts in the
salt solution. The particles need to
be very small and fine so that they
can be dispersed well throughout
the solution. Some salts that are
commonly used include:
ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate,
sodium perchlorate and
potassium chlorate. The
sensitivity of the explosive must
be increased in order to improve
the initiation of the detonation of
the explosive. There are different
techniques for increasing the
sensitivity. Aluminum or other
powdered metals can help
increase the sensitivity of the
water gel, but increasing the
sensitivity also means that the
explosives are more
combustible.[6] Powdered metals
have not proven to be completely
effective in increasing the
sensitivity of the explosive
because they do not uniformly
mix through the solution. They
also lose sensitivity as storage
time increases. Liquid non-self-
explosive sensitizers like
nitrobenzene and liquid
nitrotoluene have not worked well
either because they are difficult to
hold in suspension. Liquid
aliphatic mononitrates have been
found to work very effectively as
sensitizers when they are well
mixed in the water gel.[7]

Advantages and uses

Water gel explosives tend to be
less toxic and are less hazardous
than dynamite to manufacture,
transport, and store.[8] Water gels
are also less expensive than
conventional explosives. Because
they are relatively safe and easy to
use, they are often used in the
mining industry.[9] There are
many different types of water gel
explosives for use in different
situations. One type, a small
diameter slurry explosive, can be
used specifically for blasting in
coal undercut, midcut, and
depillaring areas. They are
preferable to nitroglycerin-based
explosives like dynamite because
they produce less noxious
fumes.[10] Detagel, which is very
high in strength, is a specific
example of a small diameter water
gel explosive that is used for
mining activities.

Water gel explosives are

frequently used as cartridge
explosives because they are
much easier to load into large
casings. With water gel
explosives, the slurry material can
simply be poured into the casing.
Traditional explosives are cast into
the casing. This process is
laborious and the charge may
begin to shrink, creating multiple
voids. A final advantage of slurry
is that it can be stored in non-
explosive component form and
sensitized into field-
manufactured explosive as it is
needed. The explosive may be
sensitized by the addition of gas,
metal powder, or another
explosive such as TNT, RDX,
HMX, or PETN. The water in water
gel explosives is converted into a
reactant by the addition of large
amounts of aluminum.
References
1. Cook, Melvin A. The Science of
Industrial Explosives. (c)1974,
page 14.
2. "Securesearch Inc - Realistic
Inert Explosives Products, Inert
IED Training Aids, Exact Replica
Ordnances, Anti-Terrorism
Awareness Products, IED
Posters, Anti-Personnel Mines
and Bomb Training Products for
Military, Law Enforcement and
Security Agencies :: Water Gel
Explosives—Inert Simulants" (h
ttps://www.securesearchinc.co
m/shop/home.php?cat=361) .
3. "WATER GEL EXPLOSIVE
(EDUCATIONAL)" (https://web.
archive.org/web/20140311041
308/http://www.freewebs.com/
lpumsun/watergelexp.html) .
www.freewebs.com. Archived
from the original (http://www.fr
eewebs.com/lpumsun/watergel
exp.html) on 2014-03-11.
4. "Water Gel Explosives" (https://
web.archive.org/web/2013040
9214947/http://www2.dupont.
com/Methylamines/en_US/uses
_apps/explosives.html) .
Archived from the original (http:
//www2.dupont.com/Methylami
nes/en_US/uses_apps/explosiv
 es.html) on 2013-04-09.
Retrieved 2013-04-20.
5. "Chemistry" (http://science.ho
wstuffworks.com/dictionary/ch
emistry-terms/explosive-info2.
htm) . 18 December 2007.
6. "WATER GEL EXPLOSIVE
(EDUCATIONAL)" (https://web.
archive.org/web/20140311041
308/http://www.freewebs.com/
lpumsun/watergelexp.html) .
www.freewebs.com. Archived
from the original (http://www.fr
eewebs.com/lpumsun/watergel
exp.html) on 2014-03-11.
7. http://www.skk-
 banjaluckapivara.com/invent/st
ationary_exercise_bicycle/slurry
_explosive_composition.html
8. Explomo Tovex Brochure (http:/
/www.explomo.com/commer.ht
m)
9. "Water Gel Explosives" (https://
web.archive.org/web/2013040
9214947/http://www2.dupont.
com/Methylamines/en_US/uses
_apps/explosives.html) .
Archived from the original (http:
//www2.dupont.com/Methylami
nes/en_US/uses_apps/explosiv
es.html) on 2013-04-09.
Retrieved 2013-04-20.
10. "Toxic Fume Comparison of a
Few Explosives Used in Trench
Blasting" (https://www.cdc.gov/
niosh/mining/userfiles/works/p
dfs/tfcoa.pdf) (PDF).
www.cdc.gov. Retrieved
2018-12-08.

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