Preparation of explosives containing degradation products of ascorbic or isoascorbic acid

• US 4,964,929 A
• Filed: 08/17/1989
• Issued: 10/23/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoffmann-La Roche Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Hoffmann-La Roche Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Beyeler, Paul, Furbringer, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Edward A.
• Application Number:
  US07/395,379
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 149/46, 149/60, 149/61, 149/109.6
• US Class Current: 149/109.6
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 23/00 Compositions characterised by non-explosive or non-thermic constituents in combination with specific explosives C06B25/20, C06B25/26, C06B29/04, C06B29/08, C06B31/06, C06B31/40, C06B33/02
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 31/02 the salt being an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal nitrate
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 31/28 the salt being ammonium nitrate
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 307/62 Three oxygen atoms, e.g. ascorbic acid

Abstract

A degradation product of ascorbic acid or isoascorbic acid obtained by heating the acid at a temperature between about 70° C. and about 210° C. until partial or complete decomposition of the acid occurs, useful in admixture with various nitrate-containing oxidation agents as an explosive and propellant material for a wide range of specific applications.

Claims

1. A process for producing an explosive composition comprising the steps of:

a. heating ascorbic acid or isoascorbic acid in the absence of a nitrate containing substance at a temperature between about 70°

C. and about 210°

C. until about 10 to about 100 percent of the acid is degraded, forming a degradation product; and

then

b. at a temperature of less than about 40°

C. mixing a nitrate-containing oxidization agent with said degradation product to form the explosive composition.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein an alkali or alkaline earth nitrate or ammonium nitrate, or a mixture of these nitrates, is used as the nitrate-containing oxidation agent.

3. A process according to claim 2, wherein the weight ratio of the nitrate-containing oxidation agent to the degradation product is between 90:

10 and 50;

50, based on potassium nitrate as the oxidation agent.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein the weight ratio of the nitrate-containing oxidation agent to the degradation product is between 80:

20 and 60;

40, based on potassium nitrate as the oxidation agent.