Abstract: An explosive composition comprising an explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. The fuel oil is selected to provide an oil separation sufficiently low so that the explosive is detonatable. The fuel oil is also selected such that the viscosity of the explosive is sufficiently low so that the explosive may be loadable into a borehole. The explosive is substantially free of tackifying agents.

Abstract: A sensor has two independent pressure chambers, each of which is in fluid communication through a plurality of relatively small passages to the flow within a duct; the passages for the first chamber being directed upstream, the passages for the second chamber being directed otherwise than upstream, usually downstream. The chambers are arranged so that their axes are parallel to each other, with the axis of the first chamber upstream of the axis of the second chamber. Depending upon the profile of the sensor, the dynamic pressure and changes therein are a constant multiplier function of the first chamber pressure minus static pressure. The constant multiplier is greater than 1.0, and is constant for a given sensor across a wide variation of measured pressures. When the profile of the sensor is essentially cruciform, with upwardly and downwardly extending wings, the multiplier effect may be in the order of 3.5 to 5.0, thereby permitting very low differential pressures to be detected and measured.

Abstract: An explosive oil-in-water emulsion and a method of manufacture is disclosed. The process comprises combining a liquid carbonaceous fuel and an aqueous solution of at least one inorganic oxidizing salt, with agitation, in the presence of ingredients A and B, ingredient A being selected from the group consisting of oleic acid, linoleic acid and mixtures thereof, and ingredient B being selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkylamines, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyldiamines, hydrazine, C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkanolamines, urea and mixtures thereof, incorporating dispersed gas bubbles into the resulting water-in-oil emulsion, one of said ingredients A and B being added before or during agitation and the remaining ingredient of ingredients A or B being added during agitation.

Abstract: A method for making a water-in-oil emulsion type explosive composition is disclosed. The method comprises combining a liquid carbonaceous fuel and an aqueous solution of at least one inorganic oxidizing salt, with agitation, in the presence of ingredients A and B and incorporating dispersed gas bubbles into the resulting emulsion. One of the ingredients A or B is added before or during agitation and the remaining ingredient is added during agitation. Ingredient A is oleic acid and/or linoleic acid. Ingredient B is an ammonium or alkali metal phosphate or carbonate.