Thermal behavior and stability of emulsion explosives in the presence of ferrous ion

Emulsion explosives (EE) are one of a typical industrial explosive that is widely used in engineering and mining applications due to its high detonation performance and ideal safety characteristics. However, since an EE is a multicomponent mixture with an oil-in-water structure, the presence of some substances or impurities can reduce the safety of the EE and cause accidents. We investigated the influence of ferrous ion on the thermal behavior and stability of EE during production and storage. The thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimetry and water solubility method were selected for the assessment of thermal behavior and stability of the EE. According to kinetic parameters, the apparent activation energy (Ea) of the EE and the EE with ferrous ion additives was determined. The results indicated that ferrous ion could decrease the thermal decomposition temperature and Ea of EE. Moreover, the degree of crystallization of ammonium nitrate increases as storage time and ferrous ion content increases. It is of important significance to reduce the hazards of the EE and to improve both safety and stability during production and storage.