Characterisation of Coal-Mining Explosives by Classical Wet Analysis and Modern Instrumental Analysis

Abstract

Permitted explosives for coal-mining are mainly mixtures of two or three inorganic salts and nitrate esters e.g. glyceroltrinitrate and glycoldinitrate with minor other components. According to german laws these explosives must always be produced in the same composition within very tight limits. Full analysis of the products is essential for quality control and for fulfilling the legal requirements. At the first thought, exact quantitative analysis of the mixtures of a few inorganic salts seems to be simple, but it isn’t. This contribution gives full details of analytic methods, both classical wet and instrumental.

Calculation examples and description of used apparatus will also be presented.

Having methods for full quantitative analysis of these explosives can be helpful for identification of types, origin and manufacturer of these special explosives because of their registrated and therefore known composition.