Abstract
To improve the performance of bulk emulsion explosives, a coal powder water slurry (CPWS) was prepared and introduced to partially replace ammonium nitrate. The microstructure, particle size distribution, and thermal decomposition behavior of emulsified matrices with different CPWS contents were investigated using optical microscopy, laser particle size analysis, and thermogravimetry. The Kissinger method was applied to calculate activation energy, while detonation velocity and brisance were measured. Results show that both viscosity and explosive performance first increased and then decreased with rising CPWS content. The 6% CPWS formulation exhibited the highest detonation velocity (4103.88 m·s− 1) and brisance (11.51 cm), along with the lowest activation energy (118.67 kJ·mol− 1). In contrast, 12% CPWS led to the highest activation energy (172.46 kJ·mol− 1). Overall, the 6% CPWS composition provided the best balance of viscosity, explosive power, and thermal behavior, demonstrating its potential for practical application.
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The authors state that the data supporting the findings of this study are included in the paper. If raw data files in a different format are required, they can be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Source data is supplied with this paper.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by State Key Laboratory of Precision Blasting and Hubei Key Laboratory of Blasting Engineering. Jianghan University (No.PBSKL2022B05) .
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State Key Laboratory of Precision Blasting and Hubei Key Laboratory of Blasting Engineering. Jianghan University (No.PBSKL2022B05) .
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Y.J.C. wrote the main manuscript text and Q.W. and Y.K.Y. revised the figures and tables. F.Q.W., Z.Y.L., and R.L. provided suggestions on the wording and sentence structure of the manuscript.All authors reviewed the manuscript.
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Cao, Y., Wang, Q., Yao, Y. et al. Study on the effects of coal powder water slurry on the performance of bulk emulsion explosives. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34968-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34968-3
