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ANFO (/ ˈ æ n f oʊ / AN-foh) [1] (or AN/FO, for ammonium nitrate/fuel oil) is a widely used bulk industrial high explosive. It consists of 94% porous prilled ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3) (AN), which acts as the oxidizing agent and absorbent for the fuel, and 6% number 2 fuel oil (FO). [2] The use of ANFO originated in the 1950s. [3]
Ammonium nitrate is an important fertilizer with NPK rating 34-0-0 (34% nitrogen). [17] It is less concentrated than urea (46-0-0), giving ammonium nitrate a slight transportation disadvantage. Ammonium nitrate's advantage over urea is that it is more stable and does not rapidly lose nitrogen to the atmosphere.
Prilled is a term used in mining and manufacturing to refer to a product that has been pelletized. ANFO explosive typically comprises ammonium nitrate prills mixed with #2 fuel oil. [2] The pellets are a neater, simpler form for handling, with reduced dust.
Binary explosives are cap-sensitive (detonatable with a standard #8 blasting cap) two-part explosives mixtures, shipped separately and combined at the use site. Many of these mixtures are based on Ammonium nitrate as an oxidizer plus a volatile fuel, but unlike ANFO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil explosive) these binaries can be detonated by ...
In response to changes in mining technology, the product line expanded to include blasting agents based on ammonium nitrate and nitric acid in the 1940s. [7] Ammonium nitrate was produced from anhydrous ammonia and air (the DuPont process) beginning in the 1950s. [7] The original nitroglycerine-based products were phased out by 1983. [2]
They provide the explosives used in coal and metal mining, quarry and construction as well as pipeline and seismic used for oil and gas exploration. [5] The types of explosives manufactured includes ammonium nitrate , dynamite , electric, non electric and electronic detonators , detonating cord and cast boosters .
The Bureau of Land Management has banned the use of all exploding targets on BLM land in Utah. [8] In New York State, a 2020 law included binary explosives, including Tannerite, in the definition of "explosives" that require a permit for their purchase, ownership, possession, transportation, or use within the state. [9] [10]
The mining industry tends to use nitrate-based explosives such as emulsions of fuel oil and ammonium nitrate solutions, [9] mixtures of ammonium nitrate prills (fertilizer pellets) and fuel oil and gelatinous suspensions or slurries [10] of ammonium nitrate and combustible fuels.