Guar gum is needed for producing sufficient viscosity. Because less is required, costs are reduced. This would help explain its presence in so many things today. In addition to guar gum's effects on viscosity, its high ability to flow, or "deform", gives it very favorable rheological properties. It forms breakable gels when cross-linked with boron. It is used in various multi-phase formulations for hydraulic fracturing, in some as an emulsifier because it helps to prevent oil droplets from coalescing, and in others as a stabilizer to help prevent solid particles from settling and/or separating. Fracking entails the pumping of sand-laden fluids into
Water gel explosive alcohol, guar gum, dextran gums, and urea-formaldehyde resins are the typical gelling agents. Guar, specifically, is a gelling agent used for the aqueous portion of the water gel explosives. The primary component of water gels is monomethylamine nitrate. Monomethylamine nitrate is made from monomethyl amine (MMA) and nitric acid. Water gel explosives are also made of ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate, aluminum, ethylene glycol and TNT. The proportions of these components vary depending on the desired explosiveness of the water gel. Water gel explosives are produced by combining nitroparaffins, usually nitromethane, with an aqueous salt solution and a gelling agent. These