This document discusses blasting techniques used in opencast mines. It describes various explosives used including ammonium nitrate, ANFO, slurry explosives, emulsion explosives, and heavy ANFO. Accessories for blasting like detonators, boosters, safety fuse, and detonating fuse are also outlined. The document explains single row and multi-row blasting patterns commonly employed in opencast mines. These include alternate delay, consecutive delay, and short delay single row patterns and square and staggered grid multi-row patterns.
This document discusses blasting techniques used in opencast mines. It describes various explosives used including ammonium nitrate, ANFO, slurry explosives, emulsion explosives, and heavy ANFO. Accessories for blasting like detonators, boosters, safety fuse, and detonating fuse are also outlined. The document explains single row and multi-row blasting patterns commonly employed in opencast mines. These include alternate delay, consecutive delay, and short delay single row patterns and square and staggered grid multi-row patterns.
This document discusses blasting techniques used in opencast mines. It describes various explosives used including ammonium nitrate, ANFO, slurry explosives, emulsion explosives, and heavy ANFO. Accessories for blasting like detonators, boosters, safety fuse, and detonating fuse are also outlined. The document explains single row and multi-row blasting patterns commonly employed in opencast mines. These include alternate delay, consecutive delay, and short delay single row patterns and square and staggered grid multi-row patterns.
This document discusses blasting techniques used in opencast mines. It describes various explosives used including ammonium nitrate, ANFO, slurry explosives, emulsion explosives, and heavy ANFO. Accessories for blasting like detonators, boosters, safety fuse, and detonating fuse are also outlined. The document explains single row and multi-row blasting patterns commonly employed in opencast mines. These include alternate delay, consecutive delay, and short delay single row patterns and square and staggered grid multi-row patterns.
1.1 Explosives The basic objective of drilling and blasting program is to achieve optimum fragmentation. Blasting in Overburden is mainly done either to fragment and shatter the rock or to displace the rock in the mine area by casting of Overburden.
According to explosive rules the explosives and their accessories are classified into eight classes. These are:
Div:-1: Safety fuse, Igniter cord, Connectors, Electric lighters etc,
Div:-2: Cordtex, Detonating fuse, Plastic igniter cord, fuse, igniters, etc.
Div:-3: Detonators, Delay detonator, relays, etc.
Class—7: Fireworks,
Class—8: Liquid Oxygen Explosive (LOX)
The commonly used explosives in the opencast mines of our country are:
Ammonium Nitrate: It is very high explosive and having a good oxidizing and cooling agent and very safe to handle. AN is mixed with a sensitizers (fuel oil or Trinitrotoluene) to form an explosive. It is hygroscopic in nature. It is having low temperature of detonation and less power as compared to NG. It is cheap, safe to handle and give better fragmentation. Prilled AN of fertilizer grade mixed with diesel oil is used for larger diameter hole in opencast mines. Ammonium Nitrate and Fuel Oil:
It is a mixture of prilled AN and fuel oil, at the nearly oxygen balanced ratio of 94/6 AN/FO. Both sensitivity and performance depend upon prill properties. It does not detonate ideally and its performance properties depend upon charge diameter and confinement. For dry hole condition it is excellent, and also it should be initiated as soon as it is loaded. It is initiated by small quantity of O.C.G. or booster.
Slurry Explosive:
This type of explosive incorporate besides oxidizer (AN, sodium Nitrate etc.) water, sensitizer hydrophilic colloid which results in viscosity build up of the matrix. Water resistance is due to the cross-linking agent forms a network of bonds involving the polyvalent metal ion and hydrated gum molecules.
Proper density control is crucial for maximizing the shock sensitivity of theses explosives. These are the safest of all explosives as they are not ignited easily and insensitive to the type of shock, bullet, impact and friction.
It has good fume properties, water resistant. Slurry automation is accomplished by
pump truck method. It led to the successful field implementation of SMS (site mixed slurry) concept. It gives a high loading rate (150-300 kg/min) and minimizes the blasting efficiency.
Site Mixed Slurry:
These explosives are used for blasting on a large scale in an opencast mine. It involves specially designed pump trucks for transport to the blasting site ingredients required for SMS system. It basically comprises a mother support plant where intermediate non- explosive slurry is, initially, prepared for its application. This intermediate slurry subsequently, is transferred to a 10 tonne capacity stainless steel tank.
Emulsion Explosive:
It is a mixture of oxidizer and fuel which are both in liquid form. With the help of emulsifying agent an intimate mix of oil and water is possible. Delivery rate of 200-300 kg/min can be achieved. Load cells/digital meters indicate amount explosive being loaded into boreholes. Straight emulsion explosive has high bulk strength.
Emulsion matrix can be carried in support tankers of 10-12 tones capacity or more which is transferred at site thus saving time. It ensures uninterrupted charging. It is recommended that 500 gm Pentolite boosters are used for boosting.
Manpower savings are obtained with less deployment of van drivers or helper, blasting crew and magazine staff. Full borehole coupling expanded burden/spacing parameters on blasting efficiency. It does not give explosive pilferage. Heavy ANFO:
It is latest development of 1980’s had been use of emulsion slurry mixed with different proportion of ANFO. The ratio of emulsion to ANFO is 20:80 to 50:50 depending on the severity of water conditions and need of stronger blast energy. It is of low cost with higher density, higher energy and better water resistance than ANFO and AN. Its concentrate system allows expansion of drilling pattern, thereby reducing drilling cost.
The comparative VOD of ANFO, Slurry and emulsion are 2000 to 4800 m/s, 3300 m/s and 5000 to 6000 m/s.
1.2 Accessories Detonator:
High explosives are initiated by detonator or detonating fuses. It is a small cupper or
aluminum tube containing a small auxiliary charge of special explosive. Due to chemical reaction initiated by flame or electric current in the special explosives, an explosion of sufficient intensity result throughout the high explosive enclosing the detonator.
It is of plain ordinary electric detonators. It is having a 1/3rd with A.S.A. composition
and P.E.T.N. No.6 detonator is suitable for normal requirement of mining work. No.8 is more power full than No.6.
The current of 0.5amp is required for ignition of fuse-head so single detonator can blasted with minimum voltage of 3.5 volt. Delay detonator is used for more efficient blasting due to supply of immediate free face for multi-row blasting.
Booster:
For effective detonation of slurry explosives and ANFO mixture such as GN-1, use of high detonation velocity booster is necessary. It is water resistant and VOD of 7000 m/s, wet strength 82 and can be detonated by detonating fuse or detonator.
Cast booster is not substitute for explosive charge. It is a very power full detonator of large size and is preferred for deep large diameter, blast hole in opencast mines.
Safety fuse:
It looks like a cord consists of core of fine grained gunpowder warped with layer of a tape or textile yarn and water proof coating. The burning speed is 100-120sec/m. it carries a flame of uniform rate of ignition to detonate an ordinary detonator. Detonating fuse:
For shallow depth (<3m), and for small number of holes, a detonator is inserted in the cartridge itself and detonated and detonated by ignition of safety fuse or incase of electric detonator, by an exploder. It contains core of PETN enclosed in a tap wrapped with cloth.
It looks like a plastic cord. Its diameter is 5 mm external and weight about 20 g/m length. It has a VOD of 6500 m/s. A large number of shots connected with detonating fuse can be blasted by a single detonator. Nonel is non-electric detonator.
Detonating Relays:
In opencast working; it use detonating fuse for initiation provide a nonelectric delay firing system. It avoids electrical connection which are required when using delay detonators.
A detonating relay is an assembly of two open ended delay detonator coupled together with flexible neoprene tubing in an Aluminum sleeve. The delay interval for each detonating relay varies from 15-45 milliseconds.
In use, the main or branch line of detonating fuse cut at required point of delay and detonating relay is crimped between two cut ends of the line. Cord relays manufactured by IDL chemicals.
Circuit Tester:
The blasting circuit is tested by circuit tester because to avoid accidental explosion of detonator. Blastomer is manufactured by IDL chemical. It is an electronic solid circuit tester.
Crimper:
A crimper is a paid of pliers to crimp or press the end of the detonator tube on safety fuse so that fuse cannot come out from the detonator.
Shot firing cables:
During electric shot firing the leads for the detonator are connected to long shot firing cables to fire the shots from safe distance.
Exploder:
The portable apparatus which provide the current necessary for firing electric detonator is called exploder. There are three types of exploder used in Indian mines i.e. Magneto Exploder, Battery condenser Exploder and Condenser dynamo Exploder. 1.3 Blasting Pattern Followed in Opencast Mines In opencast mines both vertical and inclined holes parallel with bench face is practiced. Row of the holes may be in single or multiple. So there are mainly two types of blasting pattern followed in opencast mines. These are:
a) Single Row blasting pattern
b) Multi-row blasting pattern.
1.3.1 Single row firing pattern:
In single row blasting the fragmentation is low and specific explosive consumption is more than multi-row blasting, so multi-row blasting pattern is preferred.
In this the following patterns are used:
a) The alternate delay pattern (used for softer rocks),
b) Consecutive shot delay pattern (rock with medium hardness),
c) Short delay firing with a cut (used for hard rocks).
Figure: Sequence of initiation in single row blasting
1.3.2 Multi Row firing pattern: The Multi Row Firing pattern is of mainly five types:
d). Staggered grid ‘V’ pattern (S = B; SE = 1.25BE).
e). Staggered grid ‘V1’ pattern (S = B; SE = 3.25BE).
(a) (b)
(c)
(d) (e) Figure: Multi Row firing patterns 1.4 Types of blasting There are two types of blasting.
1. Primary Blasting:
In this case of blasting the connection of blast holes is made in series. When the blast hole charged with the electric detonator there will be two ends, of the two leading wires projecting out of the blast hole.
2. Secondary Blasting:
In the open cast mining high benches are formed. During the blasting the high benches are broken. Many times the required fragmentation is not formed but the benches are blasted to large side of block.
There are two types of secondary blasting.
a) Pop Shooting:
A small of 30mm diameter and approximate 0.3 to 0.4m length is made in this block to be blasted. These holes are charged by electric detonators.
These holes are blasted by tacking proper shelter and giving the warning to be worker to take shelter. There is no much sound as compared to other methods of secondary blasting.
b) Plaster shooting:
In this case of secondary blasting high explosives are used. This high explosive of size of 83cmx64cmx13cm and weight 125gms or Power blast of size 80x60x25cm size and 250gms weight are used for plaster shooting.
The slab of the explosive is covered with thick mud on its top and side after priming when such a charge of explosive is blasted it makes very high sound.
1.5 Blast Design:
A major part of mineral production comes from surface mining and there has been a rapid growth in this sector with the deployment of high capacity equipment. Increased production can be achieved from large capacity surface mines using heavy earth moving machineries. These machineries involve high capital cost, and thus, the mining engineers should plan to achieve the best performance from these machineries.
Performance of them, especially the excavating and transporting equipments are
largely depending on the blast results, particularly, fragment size,
Thus, proper blast design is a vital factor that affects the cost of the entire mining activities. The blast design approaches such as trial and error and cratering are not suitable for large scale blasts in surface mines. The blast designer may make use of available computer aided models for prediction of fragmentation.
The use of any blast design must encompass the fundamental concepts of an ideal blast design, which are then modified as per geologic conditions. The engineer must select the proper variable to match the specific field conditions during the design of the blast.
Uncontrolled or specific field conditions are the one over which we have little control such the geology, rock characteristics, and regulations or specifications. The controllable variables are:
a) Bench height b) Bench width c) Blast Hole diameter d) Sub drill depth e) Stemming f) Burden & spacing g) Hole detonator sequence h) Type weight distribution of explosive i) Number of rock j) Powder factor k) Types of explosive and initiation system
