Tovex
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Tovex (also known as Trenchrite, Seismogel, and Seismopac) is a
History
The Tovex family of products, sometimes generically called "water gels," were developed by the Explosives Department at
In late 1973, DuPont declared "the last days of dynamite" and switched to the new Tovex formula. The "Tovex" (that replaced nitroglycerin-based dynamite) had evolved into a cap-sensitive product. Even though it bore the same name as the earlier "Tovex," it was quite different from the precursors, which could only be initiated in large diameters (5 inches) with a one pound TNT booster. The new Tovex of the mid-to-late 1970s could be detonated in (critical) diameters much smaller than 5-inches by utilizing DuPont's Detaflex, thus making the new Tovex a realistic replacement for dynamite.
Until then, only nitroglycerin-based explosives were commercially feasible for blasters who wanted cap-sensitive explosives that could be initiated with a #6
Atlas, Hercules, IRECO,
DuPont stopped producing nitroglycerine-based dynamite in 1976, replacing it with Tovex. In 1980, it sold its Tovex technology to Explosive Technology International (ETI), a Canadian company. One ETI licensee is Biafo Industries Limited, headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan.
As of 2008[update], explosives sold under DuPont's original "Tovex" trade name are distributed in Europe by Societe Suisse des Explosifs, Brigue, in Switzerland.[2]
Properties
Tovex is a 50/50
Ingredients
- sodium nitrate
- ammonium nitrate
- methyl ammonium nitrate(sometimes called "Monomethylamine Nitrate")
- calcium nitrate
- aluminum
- fuel oil No.2
- carbonaceous fuel
- perlite
- silica(fibrous glass)
- ethylene glycol
- guar gum
Uses
- avalanche control
- road construction
- mining for minerals
- building industry
- seismic exploration
- tunneling
- improvised explosive devices
- hiking trail building
- cutting fire lines
- hazardous tree removal
Sample applications
The blasting product is malleable to the extent that it can be cut to length, laid out, or bundled for a wide variety of applications. Because the material requires heat and fast compression to detonate, it is safe to transport and manipulate once in the field, even if dropped from high altitudes, set on fire, or peppered with high velocity rifle bullets.
For dead trees which are considered too hazardous to remove utilizing
For firebreaks, the product is simply uncoiled and laid along the ground to follow the ridge line or contours of the hillside or mountain along which the fire crews wish to establish a line of defense. Fire crews then follow-up by clearing debris along the blasted line to establish a fuel-free line.
For more technical blasting which requires greater planning and finesse, Tovex is often bundled according to weight into or up against a solid material, then a
Blasting caps are ignited utilizing hand-held control boxes which employ a series of safety interlocks and switches which require a strict radio sessioning handshake protocol between the unit which ignites the cap and the unit used by the Master Blaster controlling the shot, designed to prevent the emplaced Tovex, detonation cord, and caps from igniting prematurely.
After detonation, the material is completely utilized; there is no discernible residue, unless one employs microscopic analysis. Typically, Tovex and other commercial explosives employ embedded taggants which identify the product and often the agency which purchased the material.
Features
- capsensitive
- wide range of bore hole densities
- improved flexibility in loading
- water-resistance
- no nitroglycerin and noxious fumes
- reduced handling, transportation and storage hazards
- high bubble energy (underwater explosion)
- reduced sound levels and better control on vibrations
References
- ^ E. I du Pont de Nemours & Company. Blasters' Handbook. Fifteenth Edition, 1966, p. 68.
- ISBN 1-56081-266-4(VCH Publishers).
- ^ Guide for the Selection of Commercial Explosives Detection.
- ^ MSDS Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine.