Clariant has developed a new range of high performance emulsifiers for bulk explosive emulsions and packaged explosives. These new products provide consistently reliable emulsions with key benefits such as long-term stability against thermal and mechanical stress and constant cap sensitivity. Marketed under the trade name ARKOMON®, these new emulsifiers are formulated with high quality PIBSA (polyisobutylene succinic anhydride) derivatives and novel sorbitan esters.
Clariant manufactures high-reactive thermal process PIBSA specifically for producing emulsifiers that enable lower dosage rates, superior emulsion stability, longer sleep times, better water resistance and greater shear stability. Clariant technicians are able to recommend specific emulsifiers based on the explosive producer’s requirements. Clariant has laboratories in Australia, Europe and North America where application specific testing can be carried out for producers of explosives.
Emulsion plants with relatively low shear mixing equipment typically require an emulsifier that provides rapid viscosity building to facilitate production throughput. Clariant is able to recommend the appropriate Arkomon emulsifier to suit the plant’s emulsion equipment and achieve the desired time to viscosity. The choice of emulsifier can have a large impact on the rate of chemical gassing. ARKOMON emulsifiers with a rapid gassing rate can be used to facilitate safe and efficient loading by allowing the gassing reagent to be added while loading the emulsion.
Emulsion viscosity can change significantly during storage. This factor may be important when selecting an emulsifier. Clariant Technicians can recommend an emulsifier from the Arkomon range to enable production of emulsions which stay within an acceptable viscosity range. The stability of chemically gassed emulsions is a critical factor in allowing flexibility of blasting schedules. ARKOMON emulsifiers give excellent stability against crystallisation during long ‘sleep time’ in the blastholes. The water resistance of emulsions is critical to ensure reliable detonation and minimisation of NOX emissions. ARKOMON emulsifiers can be used to achieve optimum water resistance and optimum performance in wet conditions.