What is needed to detonate ANFO?
Chemistry. The chemistry of ANFO detonation is the reaction of ammonium nitrate with a long-chain alkane (CnH2n+2) to form nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water. In an ideal stoichiometrically balanced reaction, ANFO is composed of about 94.5% AN and 5.5% FO by weight.
Is ANFO stronger than TNT?
An ANFO explosion, although potentially powerful and even devastating, detonates more slowly than an explosion of nitroglycerin or TNT. This creates more of an explosive “push” than a high velocity TNT blast. ANFO ingredients are less expensive than other explosives and approximately 25% more powerful than TNT.
What PSI is lethal?
Exposure to pressure levels greater than 550 kPa (79.8 psi) is lethal in more than 50% of cases (Figure 7-2 and Figure 7-3).
What is ANFO mining?
ANFO is a free flowing (loose poured) mixture of ammonium nitrate prill and fuel oil, formulated to be oxygen balanced, for use in dry blastholes. ANFO can be used as a column charge in mining or quarrying and for general blasting work.
What is the purpose of Intermagazine distance?
What is IMD acronym and defintion? Intermagazine Distance – The minimum allowable distance between two explosive locations. Expected to prevent simultaneous detonation.
Why is ANFO explosive?
ANFO provides excellent heave energy compared with explosives that contain a high emulsion content. ANFO is a dry and free flowing product, allowing delivery by loose pour or pneumatic loading. The low bulk density of ANFO provides excellent charge distribution in the blast hole.
How much PSI is in a nuke?
At 50 seconds after the explosion, when the fireball is no longer visible, the blast wave has traveled about 12 miles. It is then traveling at about 784 miles per hour, which is slightly faster than the speed of sound at sea level….Overpressure.
| Peak overpressure | Maximum Wind Speed |
|---|---|
| 10 psi | 294 mph |
| 5 psi | 163 mph |
| 2 psi | 70 mph |
At what percentage of moisture the ANFO will fail to detonate?
ANFO which contains more than about 10% water usually fails to detonate (ICI 1997). Under conditions of high moisture content the prills will cake. ANFO can only be used in dry holes, unless it is packaged in a suitable waterproof container.
What are Class C explosives?
Class C Explosives – a term formerly used by the U.S. Department of Transportation to describe explosives that contain Class A or Class B explosives, or both as components but in restricted quantities. (Currently classified as Division 1.4 materials.)
What is the minimum amount of ANFO charge required for detonation?
The results of the test program indicated that unconfined ANFO charges of about 260 1bs are required before stable detonation and blast conditions could be achieved.
What is ANFO detonation used for?
ANFO is also widely used in avalanche hazard mitigation. The chemistry of ANFO detonation is the reaction of ammonium nitrate with a long-chain alkane (C n H 2n+2) to form nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water. In an ideal stoichiometrically balanced reaction, ANFO is composed of about 94.5% AN and 5.5% FO by weight.
How fast is ANFO explosive?
ANFO has a moderate velocity compared to other industrial explosives, measuring 3,200 m/s in 130 mm (5 in) diameter, unconfined, at ambient temperature. ANFO is a tertiary explosive, meaning that it cannot be set off by the small quantity of primary explosive in a typical blasting cap.
What is the detonation velocity of stoichiometric ANFO?
The detonation velocity data was heartening; the literature gave the detonation velocity of stoichiometric ANFO, in heavy, confining steel pipes, as 4200 meters/second. The 0.82 TNT equivalence of ANFO, however, was a bit disappointing a higher output would have been desirable.