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Water-bearing explosives comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a thickened or gelled continuous aqueous phase are stabilized against the degradation of their thickened or gelled structure by the incorporation therein of iodide and/or iodate ions. Preferably, iodide ion is introduce

Water-bearing explosives comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a thickened or gelled continuous aqueous phase are stabilized against the degradation of their thickened or gelled structure by the incorporation therein of iodide and/or iodate ions. Preferably, iodide ion is introduced by dissolving ammonium iodide or an alkali metal iodide in an aqueous liquor or sol containing the oxidizer component. The stabilization method is particularly useful in explosives containing a guar gum thickener and flake aluminum in the sensitizer component.

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1. A method of stabilizing the thickened or gelled structure of a water-bearing explosive comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a thickened or gelled continuous aqueous phase, said method comprising incorporating in the explosive a thermally stabilizing amount of iodide ion, iodate

1. A method of stabilizing the thickened or gelled structure of a water-bearing explosive comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a thickened or gelled continuous aqueous phase, said method comprising incorporating in the explosive a thermally stabilizing amount of iodide ion, iodate ion, or a combination of iodide and iodate ions. 2. A method of claim 1 wherein an iodide salt, an iodate salt, hydriodic acid, iodic acid, or any combination of said salts and acids is dissolved in an aqueous liquor or sol containing said oxidizer component. 3. A method of claim 2 wherein said iodide salt is selected from the group consisting of ammonium iodide, alkyl-substituted ammonium iodides, and alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal iodides, and said iodate salt is selected from the group consisting of ammonium iodate, alkyl-substituted ammonium iodates, and alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal iodates. 4. A method of claim 3 wherein said iodide salt is potassium or sodium iodide, and said iodate salt is potassium or sodium iodate. 5. A method of claim 1 wherein said thickened or gelled structure is stabilized by incorporating a thermally stabilizing amount of iodide ion in the explosive. 6. A method of claim 1 wherein said thickened or gelled structure is stabilized by incorporating a thermally stabilizing amount of iodate ion in the explosive. 7. A method of claim 5 wherein the amount of iodide ion is at least 4 parts per million parts of explosive by weight. 8. A method of claim 6 wherein the amount of iodate ion is from 0.010 to 0.3 percent of the weight of the explosive. 9. In a water-bearing explosive comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a continuous aqueous phase having a thickened or gelled structure, the improvement comprising a stabilizer of the thickened or gelled structure comprising iodide ion, iodate ion, or a combination of iodide and iodate ions, said sensitizer component being devoid of a sensitizing amount of gas bubbles formed (a) by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, when the stabilizer contains iodide ion and (b) by the decomposition of a nitrogen compound, when the stabilizer contains iodate ion. 10. An explosive of claim 9 wherein said stabilizer is iodide ion in the amount of at least 4 parts per million parts of explosive by weight. 11. An explosive of claim 9 wherein said stabilizer is iodate ion in the amount of 0.010 to 0.3 percent of the explosive by weight. 12. An explosive of claim 9 containing finely divided aluminum, as a fuel and/or as part of the sensitizer component. 13. An explosive of claim 12 containing flake aluminum. 14. An explosive of claim 9 wherein the aqueous phase is thickened with a galactomannan gum or starch. 15. An explosive of claim 14 wherein the aqueous phase is gelled with a crosslinked galactomannan gum. 16. In a water-bearing explosive comprising oxidizer, fuel, and sensitizer components in a continuous aqueous phase thickened or gelled with a gelactomannan gum or starch, said explosive including aluminum in ionic form or solid elemental or combined form, the improvement comprising a stabilizer of the thickened or gelled structure comprising iodide ion in the amount of at least 0.003 percent, and/or iodate ion in the amount of 0.020 to 0.3 percent, of the explosive by weight, said sensitizer component being devoid of a sensitizing amount of gas bubbles formed (a) by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, when the stabilizer contains iodide ion and (b) by the decomposition of a nitrogen compound, when the stabilizer contains iodate ion. 17. An explosive of claim 16 containing, as part of the sensitizer component, at least one salt of an alkylamine or alkanolamine with nitric or perchloric acid. 18. An explosive of claim 16 gelled with about from 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of cross-linked guar gum. 19. An explosive of claim 16, 17, or 18 containing flake aluminum as part of the sensitizer component. 20. A method of claim 1, 3, or 5 wherein substantially all gas bubbles forming at least a part of said sensitizer component are incorporated into the explosive by the direct injection of gas, by mechanical agitation, and/or by the addition of air-carrying solid material. 21. A method of claim 5 wherein said iodide ion is incorporated in the explosive by dissolving, in an aqueous liquor or sol containing said oxidizer component, at least one iodide salt selected from the group consisting of ammonium iodide, alkyl-substituted ammonium iodides, and alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal iodides. 22. A method of claim 6 wherein said iodate ion is incorporated in the explosive by dissolving, in an aqueous liquor or sol containing said oxidizer component, at least one iodate salt selected from the group consisting of ammonium iodate, alkyl-substituted ammonium iodates, and alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal iodates. 23. An explosive of claim 9 or 16 wherein said stabilizer is iodide ion derived from at least one member of the group consisting of alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal iodides, ammonium iodide, alkylammonium iodides, and hydriodic acid. 24. A method of claim 5 wherein said explosive has an aqueous phase which has been gelled by the crosslinking of a thickener therein resulting from the action of a crosslinking agent distinct from said iodide. 25. A method of claim 1 wherein said sensitizer component is devoid of a sensitizing amount of gas bubbles formed (a) by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide when a thermally stabilizing amount of iodide ion is incorporated in said explosive and (b) by the decomposition of a nitrogen compound when a thermally stabilizing amount of iodate is incorporated in said explosive; with the proviso that when said aqueous phase is gelled and contains the cerous ion, said explosive is iodide-free and stabilized by incorporating iodate ion therein. 26. An explosive of claim 9 or claim 16 wherein any gelled structure therein which contains cerous ion is iodide-free and stabilized with iodate ion.