Blast Breaker® Dose Calculator

Treating an IBC of ANE waste

1. Check you have room for the final treatment volume. You may need a second IBC.
2. Add water and Blast Breaker® at the quantities calculated above.
3. Mix with an intrinsically safe pneumatic IBC mixer until the waste has broken apart and is suspended (5–10 minutes on average).
4. Leave to settle. Allow up to 24 hours for complete separation.

Preloading a vacuum truck

1. Charge the truck with water and Blast Breaker® before attending the waste site. Record weights: assume SG 1.2–1.3 for concentrated ammonium nitrate solution and confirm on the weighbridge.
2. Draw the ANE waste directly into the tank. The reaction starts immediately and is endothermic, so the tank becomes cold to the touch.
3. If the reaction is incomplete, agitate or recirculate the load. Older, thicker or crystallised waste may need extra Blast Breaker®, water and mixing time.
4. Unload at the disposal or recycling site, then clean the tank and hoses.

What to expect

While agitated, the mixture presents as a milky white, opaque liquid. Left to settle, it splits into a hydrocarbon top layer and a nitrogen-rich bottom layer. Typical separation time is 4–24 hours with around 95% hydrocarbon recovery. Results vary with waste composition, temperature and pressure.

Limitations

Aged or viscous ANE may need additional treatment. High solids content increases settling time, and low temperatures slow separation. Pilot testing is strongly recommended for unfamiliar waste streams.

TACN warning

If ANE contacts copper or brass equipment, including brass fittings, it may form Tetra-Amine Copper Nitrate (TACN), an impact- and heat-sensitive explosive that presents as a blue/purple crystalline substance.

Full details, including storage, handling and technical performance data, are in the Blast Breaker® Technical Data Sheet. Refer to the SDS before use.