Gas-generating compositions, fracturing system and method of fracturing material

Abstract

Compositions and systems for use in breaking or fracturing hard material are described. In particular, gas-generating compositions exhibiting at least a dual burn rate, including compositions comprising lactose, potassium perchlorate and ferrosilicon are described.

1 . A composition comprising at least one of compositions (A), (B1), (C1) and (D) wherein: 
 composition (A) comprises (a) at least one carbohydrate fuel; (b) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium perchlorate, potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, potassium sulfate and a perchlorate salt; (c) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of ferrosilicon, magnalium, aluminum metal and magnesium metal; and (d) less than 5 weight percent ammonium oxalate;    composition (B1) comprises (a) at least one carbohydrate fuel; (b) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium perchlorate, potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, potassium sulfate and a perchlorate salt; (c) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of ferrosilicon, magnalium, aluminum metal and magnesium metal; and (d) X weight percent ammonium oxalate, wherein X is less than 12 weight percent ammonium oxalate, and composition (B1) has a powder factor that is less than the powder factor of composition (B2), wherein composition (B2) is identical to composition (B1) with the exceptions: 
 composition (B2) comprises 12% ammonium oxalate and  
 the sum of weight percentages of components (a), (b) and (c) in composition (B2) is  
 reduced in total by 12−X;  
   composition (C1) comprises (a) at least one carbohydrate fuel; (b) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium perchlorate, potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, potassium sulfate and a perchlorate salt; (c) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of ferrosilicon, magnalium, aluminum metal and magnesium metal; and (d) X weight percent ammonium oxalate, wherein X is less than 12 weight percent ammonium oxalate, and composition (C1) has a powder factor that is less than the powder factor of composition (C2), wherein composition (C2) comprises 12 weight percent ammonium oxalate, about 37 weight percent potassium perchlorate, about 24 weight percent salicylic acid, about 26 weight percent ferrosilicon and about 1 weight percent borax;    composition (D) comprises (a) at least one carbohydrate fuel; (b) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium perchlorate, potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, potassium sulfate and a perchlorate salt; (c) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of ferrosilicon, magnalium, aluminum metal and magnesium metal, wherein the ignited composition exhibits a first change in burn rate with change in ln(p) to a first pressure and a second change in burn rate with change in ln(p) at pressures greater than the first pressure, and wherein the second change in burn rate with change in ln(p) is greater than the first change in burn rate with change in ln(p).    
   
   
       2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate fuel comprises a sugar.  
   
   
       3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the composition within the cartridge contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       4 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the sugar comprises a disaccharide or a hydrate thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the carbohydrate fuel comprises lactose or a hydrate thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The composition of  claim 5 , wherein said substance comprises ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       7 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein said substance consists essentially of ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       9 . The composition of  claim 5 , wherein said composition comprises at least two members of the substance group.  
   
   
       10 . The composition of  claim 9 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein said members consist essentially of ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       12 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       13 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise magnesium and aluminum.  
   
   
       14 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       15 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein said substance comprises ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       16 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein said substance consists essentially of ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       17 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       18 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein said composition comprises at least two members of the substance group.  
   
   
       19 . The composition of  claim 18 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein said members consist essentially of ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       21 . The composition of  claim 20 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       22 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise magnesium and aluminum.  
   
   
       23 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       24 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises potassium perchlorate.  
   
   
       25 . The composition of  claim 24 , wherein the composition within the cartridge contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       26 . The composition of  claim 24 , wherein the carbohydrate fuel comprises a disaccharide or a hydrate thereof.  
   
   
       27 . The composition of  claim 26 , wherein the disaccharide comprises lactose or a hydrate thereof.  
   
   
       28 . The composition of  claim 27 , wherein said substance comprises ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       29 . The composition of  claim 28 , wherein said substance consists essentially of ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       30 . The composition of  claim 29 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       31 . The composition of  claim 30 , wherein said substance consists essentially of lactose or its hydrate.  
   
   
       32 . The composition of  claim 27 , wherein said composition comprises at least two members of the substance group.  
   
   
       33 . The composition of  claim 32 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       34 . The composition of  claim 33 , wherein said members consist essentially of ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       35 . The composition of  claim 34 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       36 . The composition of  claim 35 , wherein said substance consists essentially of lactose or its hydrate.  
   
   
       37 . The composition of  claim 32 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise magnesium and aluminum.  
   
   
       38 . The composition of  claim 37 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       39 . The composition of  claim 38 , wherein said substance consists essentially of lactose or its hydrate.  
   
   
       40 . The composition of  claim 24 , wherein said substance comprises ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       41 . The composition of  claim 40 , wherein said substance consists essentially of ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       42 . The composition of  claim 41 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       43 . The composition of  claim 24 , wherein said composition comprises at least two members of the substance group.  
   
   
       44 . The composition of  claim 43 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       45 . The composition of  claim 44 , wherein said members consist essentially of ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       46 . The composition of  claim 45 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       47 . The composition of  claim 43 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise magnesium and aluminum.  
   
   
       48 . The composition of  claim 47 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       49 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       50 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said substance comprises ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       51 . The composition of  claim 50 , wherein said substance consists essentially of ferrosilicon.  
   
   
       52 . The composition of  claim 51 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       53 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises at least two members of the substance group.  
   
   
       54 . The composition of  claim 53 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       55 . The composition of  claim 54 , wherein said members consist essentially of ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       56 . The composition of  claim 55 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       57 . The composition of  claim 53 , wherein said members of the substance group comprise magnesium and aluminum.  
   
   
       58 . The composition of  claim 57 , wherein the composition contains no ammonium oxalate.  
   
   
       59 . The composition of any of the claims above, wherein the ignited composition exhibits said first change in burn rate with change in ln(p) to said first pressure and said second change in burn rate with change in ln(p) at said pressures greater than the first pressure, and wherein the second change in burn rate with change in ln(p) is greater than the first change in burn rate with change in ln(p).  
   
   
       60 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition is composition (A).  
   
   
       61 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition is composition (B1).  
   
   
       62 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition is composition (C1).  
   
   
       63 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition is composition (D).  
   
   
       64 . The composition of  claim 60 ,  claim 61 ,  claim 62  or  claim 63  wherein the composition contains ferrosilicon and magnalium.  
   
   
       65 . The composition of  claim 64 , wherein the carbohydrate fuel is lactose or a hydrate thereof.  
   
   
       66 . The composition of  claim 64 , wherein the composition comprises about 15 weight % ferrosilicon and about 10 weight % magnalium.  
   
   
       67 . The composition of  claim 65 , wherein the composition comprises about 15 weight % ferrosilicon and about 10 weight % magnalium.  
   
   
       68 . The composition of  claim 64 , wherein the composition comprises about 40 to about 50 weight % potassium perchlorate, about 25 to about 35 weight % lactose or a hydrate thereof, about 10 to about 15 weight % ferrosilicon and about 5 to about 15 weight % magnalium.  
   
   
       69 . The composition of  claim 64 , wherein the composition comprises about 50 to about 60 weight % potassium perchlorate, about 15 to about 25 weight % lactose or a hydrate thereof, about 15 to about 25 weight % ferrosilicon and about 1 weight % of a flow agent.  
   
   
       70 . The composition of any claim above, wherein the composition has a tap density between about 0.8 g/cc and about 1.5 g/cc.  
   
   
       71 . A system comprising: 
 a material to be fractured;    a cartridge within a hole in the material to be fractured;    a composition according to any of claim  1 -claim  70  within the cartridge, and    a stemming material above the cartridge.    
   
   
       72 . A method for fracturing material comprising creating a hole in the material, inserting a cartridge containing a composition according to any of claim  1 -claim  70  into the hole, at least partially filling the hole with a stemming material, and igniting the composition.  
   
   
       73 . A method of making a composition comprising: 
 (a) providing at least one carbohydrate fuel;    (b) providing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium perchlorate, potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, potassium sulfate and a perchlorate salt;    (c) providing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of ferrosilicon, magnalium, aluminum metal or magnesium metal;    (d) combining the compounds provided in steps (a)-(c) in amounts and under conditions sufficient to produce a composition having a tap density of about 0.8 g/cc to about 1.5 g/cc.    
   
   
       74 . A method of fracturing a material to be fractured comprising: 
 oxidizing a compound at a first change in burn rate as a function of pressure within a hole in the material to produce a gas;    containing the gas generated in the oxidizing step to attain a sufficient pressure within the hole such that a second change in burn rate as a function of pressure occurs;    producing an additional amount of gas such that the pressure increases and the material fractures.    
   
   
       75 . A composition comprising (a) at least one carbohydrate fuel; (b) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium perchlorate, potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, potassium sulfate and a perchlorate salt; (c) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, sodium nitrobenzoate or sodium gluconate.  
   
   
       76 . The composition according to  claim 75 , wherein the carbohydrate fuel is lactose or a hydrate thereof.  
   
   
       77 . The composition according to  claim 75  or  claim 76 , wherein the composition comprises sodium benzoate and sodium nitrobenzoate.  
   
   
       78 . The composition according to  claim 75  or  claim 76 , wherein the composition comprises sodium gluconate.  
   
   
       79 . The composition according to  claim 75  or  claim 78 , wherein the composition comprises about 3 to about 5 times as much component (b) by weight percent compared to the weight percent of component (a).