Application of Silicon Dioxide as the Inert Component or Oxide Component Enhancer in ANFO

Non-ideal explosives with differing contents of silicon dioxide (silica or dioxosilane) added in the form of powder and gel were tested. Measurements of structure, crystallinity and morphology were performed by means of infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). IR and XRD analysis revealed a lack of SiO2 influence on the non-ideal explosive structure. SEM analysis indicated that all the surface deformations of ammonium nitrate(V) prill were filled by a thin fuel film layer on which SiO2 was present. The additional calculations of selected theoretical properties of non-ideal compositions were made using ZMWCyw software. Based on this, it was established that the optimum semimetal content was 1.0 wt.%. Blasting tests confirmed that the addition of 1.0 wt.% SiO2 to the Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) resulted in the lowest volume of post-blast fumes. Moreover, it was established that finer SiO2 powder cannot be used as the oxide component enhancer due to the inhibition of detonation reaction. SiO2 should be used only as an inert component.