Types of Diesel Fuel

[KinePak]

OK, now as most of you all already know, I have successfully already detonated a 50lb charge of fertilizer grade AN with Diesel Fuel, and I was very successful to say the least. This past weekend I did the exact same charge, but I used Premium Diesel Fuel from Texaco, and I also let the charge sit for about 7 hours before detonation. My results were shit, all it did was throw my prills all over my lake, and spray the diesel out, only the Kinepak went off. OK, the only difference b/w the two charges was that I used a different type of diesel last weekend. The Texaco brand was yellow in color, and the diesel I got from my cousin was red in color. So, my question is this does it matter which type of diesel one is to use in successfully detonating ANFO, I mean are there different chemical properties in certain types of Diesel fuel?

[mrloud]

There is no fixed recipe for diesel. The compostion of the stuff you buy as diesel will depend on the climate you are in and the refinery it came from. In winter, diesel will be made so that it vaporises easier. In summer the mixture will be changed to reflect the higher average temperature. The diesel I buy here in Melbourne won't be the same as the diesel one would buy up in Darwin (nearer the equator). Also, we don't get "premium diesel" here in Oz so I don't know what that could be about.

Why not try the original experiment again to make sure it wasn't just a fluke that it worked? Then try it a third time but only change *one* parameter (The wait time or the brand of diesel). You need to use a process of elimination to determine which modification caused the failure.

[Anthony]

If your laws are anything like ours then red diesel is for use in offroad vehicles (farm equipment, JCBs, generators, pumps etc) and is tax free. The only difference between red and regular diesel is a red dye to mark it.

[Bitter]

It produces different emission ratings too, apparently.

[spydamonkee]

mayb the other type of desiel burns @ a lower temp and a lower ratio would be needed for it to work with ANFO?
well thats all i could think of as i thort pretty much any enegetic fuel could be used for ANFO, desiel was just the best for its price

[CyclonitePyro]

Red diesel fuel is home heating fuel, which some people illegaly use in place of normal diesel fuel in vehicles, because it is cheaper.

I used the red in an ANFO charge and it worked great. I've never used normal diesel though, so I can't make any conclusions to which kind works better, if it makes any difference.

[Jacks Complete]

Red diesel fuel is home heating fuel, which some people illegaly use in place of normal diesel fuel in vehicles, because it is cheaper.
On a related note, (aware that this might get me a telling off) does anyone know of a way to split out the colour? Or what the dye is?

I have tried base, acid, weak oxidiser, and a few other things. Nothing. I am no chemist, though. I only did A-level.

Of course, this is just so that I can use it on my hair, as I love the smell of diesel. ;)

I heard that filtering it through bread would work, but that would waste the dye... Customs and Excise have a tester kit they use, and they add a little drop of something, and it splits out, and a scale tells them how naughty you have been.

Any ideas?

[Dave Angel]

Have you tried activated charcoal? You can get it in the pet's section of Wilko's, 125g for 99p according to my little book of OTC things. Perhaps distillation, though that's rather wasteful of energy I suppose, and the dye could be volatile and have the same bp. as the fuel.

I remember seeing a news report about a police raid recently when they busted a bunch of people removing the dye from diesel. The were lots of chemical containers around and I was desperately straining my eyes at the screen to see what they were using but I couldn't tell :(

[Jacks Complete]

LOL. Yes, some people I know were doing the same thing. Roll on HDTV!

Charcoal might work, but at 99p for a little bag like that, the bread would be cheaper.

[tmp]

Diesel fuel is primarily cetane. The only grading difference I've ever heard of is
No. 1 is supposed to have less paraffin than No. 2 and therefore more desirable.
I don't know if this grading system is still used or if it would have an effect on
your ANFO.

[Magas]

Amonium Nitrate, being soluble in water, is not resistant to water-hence, there is a loss of efficiency or failure when AN/FO is used under wet conditions. You mentioned near the lake and sitting for 7 hours did you have it in a waterproof hole or container?

Also how did you mix it. Incomplete mixing is characterized by by reddish -brown fumes of oxides of nitrogen and poor plasting performance result.

Also what is the composition of your prilled. Prilled FGAN, coated with Kieselguhr redilly absorbes 6% of fuel oil, However, the kieselguhr coating is inclined to inhibit initiation sensitivity. Some suppliers overcome this by using surface-active agents instead of the kieselguhr in the production of prilled AN

With that said the physico-chemical bond between AN and fuel oil can be sustantially improved by use of surfactants & water, which produce emulsions of fuel oil in water, resulting in greater sensitivity and better explosive qualities. eg "Quilox" is mixed with fuel oil to form an oil/water/surface-active agent emulsion, this is then addes to a bag of prilled AN in the required amount.

[TheArsenist]

My AN fertilizer prills are 98,6% pure AN and they are about mesh 14. But it seems they have some sort of coating on the surface because I find it hard to properly "activate" them.

Anyway, if the coating is made of wax shouldn't teh diesel dissolve that and if the coating is not wax what else can it be made of then?

[tmp]

TheArsenist, my experience with fertilizer grade AN is that is has been
coated with clay - at least in the past. They may be using wax now.
Personally, I dissolve, filter, and re-crystallize any AN I get - regardless
of source. Dissolve as much as possible in boiling water. Don't worry
about the slight ammonia smell. Filter if necessary. Even without freezing,
the AN crystals will start to form as the solution cools. After removing the
crystals, allow any excess water to drain off in a filter, then dry by any
method you desire. Just be careful when heating because the AN could
decompose or even explode if heated too high.

[Anthony]

Does anyone have any personal experience of the difference in sensitivity between prilled and powdered AN in ANFO?

Also, has anyone compared diesel and petrol as fuels?