Water Gel Explosive - Advantages and Uses

Advantages and Uses

They tend to be less toxic and are less hazardous than dynamite to manufacture, transport, and store. Water gels are also less expensive compared to conventional explosives. Because they are relatively safe and easy to use, they are often times used in the mining industry. There are many different types of water gel explosives and each type of explosive can be used 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 more favorable than nitroglycerin based explosives like dynamite because they produce less noxious fumes. Detagel, which is very high in strength, is a specific example of a small diameter water gel explosive that is used for mining activities.

They are frequently used as cartridge explosives because they are much easier to load into large casings. With water gel explosives, filling a bomb is merely a matter of pouring the material into the casing. Traditionally explosives are ordinarily 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 amount of aluminum. Water-gel explosives represent the majority of the blasting agents used in the commercial market and have almost completely displaced dynamite.