ADB Mining Magazine - Explosives feature Nov 2013

November 2013 www. .com
42 eXPloSiVeS & blaSting
• ANFO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil): is a widely used
bulk industrial explosive mixture. It consists of a
low-density (porous) ammonium nitrate prill and fuel oil.
ANFO is chosen typically when low cost and ease of use
are the primary considerations over water resistance,
oxygen balance, high detonation and performance.
• Bulk emulsion: consists of the same chemistry as ANFO
but differs in physical form. Bulk emulsions provide
greater water resistance and were developed to allow
safer and more efficient use in bulk loading systems. Bulk
loading saves time, saves labour and improves
explosives performance.
• Blends (heavy ANFO): are a mixture of ANFO and
emulsion. The ratio can span 1% emulsion to 99%
emulsion. The main benefits of blends are to increase
the energy density of explosives in the borehole to
enhance fragmentation, provide more water resistance
than ANFO and reduce the overall project cost by
permitting expanded drill patterns.
• Water gels: contain a substantial amount of water and
are less sensitive than nitroglycerin dynamites. Water
gels are available in two basic forms, packaged or bulk,
making it possible to accommodate a wide variety of
blasting requirements. They are not, however, in wide
use currently.
• Dynamite: is a cartridge explosive used only in
conventional, non-bulk, loading applications. Dynamite is
wrapped in paper shells or plastic film/tubes. Although
still in use for specific purposes, other explosive
products have widely replaced the use of dynamite.
• Packaged explosives: Packaged explosives include
traditional dynamite, packaged ANFO, emulsion and
water gel explosives.
Types of explosives
T
he bulk explosives most widely
used in today’s surface mining
industry are ammonium nitrate
(AN)-based. Falling under this umbrella
are emulsions and ammonium nitrate
fuel oil, better known as ANFO. ANFO
was the first of the two to see commer-
cial use, primarily due to its simplicity
and cost-effectiveness. However, its lack
of water resistance led to the develop-
ment of emulsions.
ANFO is a simple mix of porous AN
prill and an organic fuel oil such as
diesel, while emulsion is a viscous
water-resistant blasting agent that must
be sensitised by reducing its density.
This is done by creating airspaces in the
emulsion by using: physical mixing, with
a density-reducing agent; or chemical
gassing to create small gas bubbles.
The application of these two forms of
AN-based explosive is rarely exclusive.
Blends of AN prill and emulsion
(sometimes called heavy ANFO) are very
common in today’s blasting operations
and blends can contain from 1%
emulsion to 99% emulsion.
The main benefits of blends are to
increase the energy density of ANFO in
the borehole to enhance fragmentation,
provide more water resistance and
reduce the overall project cost by
permitting expanded drill patterns.
Blends with up to 50% emulsion are
delivered as ‘dry’ products, which are
augured; blends with 60%-plus emulsion
are pumped. Blends containing 30-50%
emulsion provide fair water resistance
and, due to the large percentage of
ANFO, generally do not require the use
of density-reducing agents.
Pumped blends with 70% or greater
emulsion content are considered to give
excellent water resistance with the ability
to displace water when loaded from the
bottom of the hole upwards, and they
do require the use of physical or
chemical density-reducing agents.
Although still in use for specific
purposes, other explosive products have
widely replaced the use of dynamite,
which was invented by the Swedish
chemist and engineer, Alfred Nobel
(Dyno Nobel’s namesake). Dynamite is a
cartridge explosive used only in
conventional, non-bulk, loading
applications. It comes wrapped in paper
shells or plastic film or tubes and is
therefore considered a ‘packaged
explosive’. Water gels contain a
substantial amount of water and are less
sensitive than nitroglycerin-based
dynamites. They are available in two
basic forms, packaged or bulk, making it
possible to accommodate a variety of
blasting requirements.
eXPloSiVeS Selection
Key factors to be considered when
selecting the type of explosives include:
• the type of rock that needs to be
blasted;
• diameters of the blastholes;
• bench height, burden and spacing;
• detonation velocity of the explosives;
• fragmentation requirements for
loading, hauling and crushing;
• height of the water table on-site;
• supply and storage logistics; and
• final result required.
forward charge
Carly Leonida asked four key companies about current blasting
practices and technologies in the surface mining market
“Blast
modelling
programmes
have
become a
significant
tool in
helping
design
engineers to
achieve
accurate
simulation
and analysis
of different
detonation
designs”

43
November 2013www. .com
eXPloSiVeS & blaSting
The primary consideration in selecting
the correct product is the explosive’s
water resistance. However, once this
consideration is satisfied, there are
various other site-specific considerations
that lead to the right choice of explosive:
• Heave versus fragmentation:
emulsion’s high-density yields a higher
velocity of detonation (VOD), which
gives greater fragmentation, while
ANFO gives a large gas volume, creating
more displacement of the muck pile.
Higher VODs of emulsion blends are also
found to achieve better floor control in
tough geological conditions.
• Environmental concerns: the high
density of emulsion blends yields a
higher explosive weight per borehole
than ANFO; this can be a concern for
operations needing to minimise blast
induced vibration.
• Primer use/availability: detonator-
sensitive emulsion cartridges are weak
primers for emulsion explosives, while
they are sufficient for initiating ANFO.
Cast boosters are generally preferred.
• Loading times: many operations
choose to use only pumped emulsion
blends regardless of the presence of
water in order to remove the operational
delay caused by changing from one
product to another and the evaluation/
decision-making process associated with
the change.
• Bench access: ‘dry’ products must be
augured or poured into the hole. This
requires the bulk truck to be able to
arrive close to the hole, or bags to be
carried to the hole. On the other hand,
pumped emulsion blends are delivered
through a long product hose which can
be carried to various holes while the
truck maintains the same position.
All of these considerations are, of
course, weighed against the respective
economic and operational benefits of
each type of explosive; emulsions
typically cost more than ANFO.
Storage anD tranSPort
Proper storage and transportation are
constant considerations when dealing
with explosives. Rob Bush, technical
representative at Austin Powder,
explains: “Today’s use of AN-based
explosives has helped the industry to
improve safety in both the transportation
and storage of explosives. AN prill is not
an explosive until mixed with an organic
fuel, while emulsion is not an explosive
until mixed with greater than 50% AN
prill or a density-reducing agent.
“The equipment to realise these
blending processes in the field are readily
available on the market which allows
for the storage and transportation of
blasting agents rather than explosives.”
This practice in turn allows for safer
storage and transportation of blasting
agents in large quantities due to their
lack of sensitivity. This improves
A typical
complex hard
rock blast,
designed using
BME’s BlastMap
software
Far left: loading
a blasthole from
the MPU, Isaac
Plains coal mine
Left: priming a
blast hole, Isaac
Plains coal mine,
Bowen Basin,
Queensland
“Blast
fragment
ation can
hugely
affect a
mine’s
profitability”

44 EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
operational efficiency by reducing both
the number and size of explosives
magazines needed on a mine site, as
well as the number of deliveries from the
explosives provider required to match
consumption.
There have also been efforts in
explosives manufacturing to improve
traceability of explosives and explosives
accessories so that they can be tracked
on a piece-by-piece basis from the
moment they are produced until they are
used on the mine site. “Traceability is
continually improving and the ability to
be able to accomplish piece-by-piece
tracking is already required in some
regulatory environments,” adds Bush.
There are strict regional requirements
in relation to the storage and transporta-
tion of explosives. These are detailed
and stringent to ensure safety. For
example, all vehicles transporting
explosives should be well maintained
and have all necessary safety equipment
such as fire extinguishers. They must also
display adequate warning signs and
placards.
Most explosives companies are highly
supportive of these regulations and work
hard to ensure their compliance.
Tony Rorke, director of blasting
technology at African explosives and
services provider BME, comments:
“Currently, most countries have stringent
legislation regarding the storage and
transport of explosives, and explosives
companies are in full support of this.
BME is looking at unique methods of
identifying and recording product unit
identifications for easy tracing.”
Lance Tinney, SVP, HSE and business
excellence at Dyno Nobel, agrees:
“Safety is our core value and number-
one priority. We ensure that our
operators and blasters are fully trained
and certified to best-practice standards.
We operate a fleet that meets or
exceeds applicable regulations and we
monitor our fleet through high-tech
fleet-tracking satellites.”
Software
Blast fragmentation can hugely affect a
mine’s profitability, so it is important to
plan blast patterns and parameters
correctly and ensure maximum efficiency.
Every mine site has different geological
conditions, and the ability to model and
adjust blast designs based on these
factors can give sites a distinct
advantage in reacting to changing
conditions, or better yet, proactively
adjusting to them.
Blast modelling programmes have
become a significant tool in helping
design engineers to achieve this through
accurate simulation and analysis of
different blast designs. Equally important
is the ability to measure what happens
during blasts in order to deal with
application issues and to get a better
understanding of the rock response.
“This enables changes to design
parameters prior to implementation in
the field, and software reporting
functions allow for accurate information
to be passed on to the shot firer,”
explains Stephen Timbrell, blasting
specialist at Action Drill & Blast.
One example of this is in the case of
blast modelling for final wall stability and
pre-split designs. “Using advanced
pre-split design wizards coupled with
blast energy analysis programs,
explosives engineers are able to adjust
pre-split charging configurations based
on rock conditions, as well as minimise
blast-induced vibrations in the final
wall,” says Bush. “This in turn leads to
accomplishing designed stripping ratios,
or even improving upon the design to
accomplish more favourable stripping
ratios. This is especially valuable in
thin-veined deposits where stripping
ratios tend to be very high.”
Blast energy modelling also allows for
blast optimisation by giving the ability to
maximise the efficiency of the explosives
used and therefore minimise the quantity
needed to achieve the desired
fragmentation.
“The advent of blast modelling
software can be very much attributed to
the advent of electronic detonators.
Precise control over blast timing has
allowed for more precise analysis of what
actually goes on in a blast,” adds Bush.
Austin Powder uses software
developed in-house for blast design and
analysis. “Our most advanced software
includes 3-D surface mine modelling to
allow Austin technical personnel to assist
customers in mine planning, and to allow
for importing GPS blasthole surveys that
can be placed onto real terrain data,”
says Bush.
Action Drill & Blast uses 2D Bench and
Geovia’s Surpac packages for modelling.
Blasting expert, Laurie Pratt, explains:
“2D Bench provides a cost-effective
solution for blast design, analysis and tie-
in plans for shot firers. It is also used for
Below left:
loading the
mobile
processing unit
at the
Middlemount
coal mine.
Below right:
rotary drills,
blast hole
drilling,
Fortescues
Cloudbreak
project, in
Pilbara, Western
Australia
Right: AXXIS –
BME’s digital
initiation system.
Above: prepar
ing for an AXXIS
electronic
detonator blast

46 eXPloSiVeS & blaSting
basic mine planning. Surpac provides
additional benefits such as 3-D
modelling and allows blast designs to be
created using topographic information
and pit designs.”
Dyno Nobel uses several different
software tools for blast modelling:
• HSBM is a 3-D numerical modelling
software package that uses a
combination of discrete and
continuous numerical techniques to
model detonation, dynamic wave
propagation, rock fragmentation and
muck-pile formation.
• FAS-Blast uses an empirical model to
allow input of bench conditions and
provides initial design parameters for
a shot. It also has a fragmentation pre-
diction tool and vibration prediction
based on prior results.
• ViewShot is an advanced timing
design program that allows created
designs to be used to programme
electronic detonators on the blast.
• Electronic Shot Report compiles data
from previous blasts such as geology,
pattern info, product usage,
seismograph readings and timing
(among others) to allow document-
ation of blasting results. Web access
to information allows ease of access
to assist with designing future shots.
“These tools allow multiple scenarios
to be examined and can assist in picking
the correct products and timing to be
used for a set of conditions. Advanced
blasting software supplements local
knowledge about blasting conditions by
using actual data to calculate blast
designs that are specific to local
conditions,” says Jeff Averett, blasting
software manager at Dyno Nobel.
BME has developed BlastMapIII, a
blast design tool that also uses
measured data to help with variance
analysis. “All our clients have access to
BlastMapIII. We use the most modern
monitoring equipment and analysis
software available in the market to
measure blast results,” says Rorke.
As well as modelling blasts and
fragmentation, software programs can
help ensure the correct amount and type
of explosive is delivered to each drill-hole.
“The drill-hole and rock-recognition
information from the software in the
blasthole drills can be fed into the blast
design program,” explains Timbrell.
“The type/amount of explosive for each
hole is calculated by the design program
and can be sent directly to the GPS-ena-
bled mobile processing unit (MPU). As the
MPU positions over each hole, it is
automatically loaded as per the design.
DetonatorS
Most detonators can be classified into
three types: non-electric detonators,
electric detonators and electronic delay
detonators (see box).
Non-electric detonators have the
advantage of being more cost-effective
and readily available from numerous
suppliers and are widely recognised as
being easier to use in the field. The
main disadvantages of some non-
electric detonators are: the timing
imprecision or scatter that can occur,
which is not desirable for vibration-con-
trolled blasting; and the limited range
of detonator timing delays available on
the market, which reduces design
flexibility. However, this is not the case
with all non-electric detonators.
Electronic detonators have the
advantage of high-precision timing,
which is ideal for vibration-controlled
blasting and achieving improved
fragmentation on a site-specific basis.
When modifications are required to blast
designs, electronic detonators eliminate
concerns relating to detonator scatter.
Electronic systems with two-way
• Non-electric detonators: these utilise shock tube (plastic
tube) in which the inside walls are covered with a reactive
material. This material can carry a shockwave strong
enough to initiate a pyrotechnic detonator. Pyrotechnic
delay detonators offer millisecond timing accuracy and
are easy to use. These non-electric systems are
economical and can be used in all mining applications.
• Electric detonators: electric initiation systems use an
electrical power source to initiate detonators. Delay
powders inside the detonators control the detonator
firing times. These were introduced in the 1940s. The
primary benefit is that the blaster can confirm that the
initiation voltage will reach all detonators in the circuit.
The primary limitation is that some detonators can be
susceptible to initiation by stray current, static electricity,
or direct electric current.
• Electronic detonators: electronic initiation systems are
the most recent development in blasting initiation
technology. Each electronic detonator contains an
integrated circuit chip and a capacitor to control the
initiation time and provide voltage to fire the bridge-
ware. Although more costly than electric and non-elec-
tric detonators, the key advantage with electronic
detonators is very precise and accurate timing.
Near-absolute timing allows for significant improvement
in blasting results of fragmentation, vibration control and
air blast control.
Detonator types
Blasting
sequence at
Anglo
American’s
Kolomela
ironore mine

47
eXPloSiVeS & blaSting
communication can identify detonator
misfires before initiation.
William Codd, of Action Drill & Blast,
says: “From our experience, the main
disadvantages of electronic detonators
are the relatively high cost and
additional training requirements required
for shot firers, plus the potential for
incorrect data entry and no visual check
other than the display on the program-
ming unit.”
“Mines that have a focus on their
overall efficiencies, including blasting
prefer using the much more accurate
electronic delay detonators,” says Rorke.
“The overall financial benefits in
improved productivity far outweigh the
price premium of the electronic
detonator systems.”
Indeed, the surface mining industry is
gradually transitioning to the complete
use of electronic detonators, as the
added value in terms of safety and
security, timing precision, and opera-
tional flexibility is found by an increasing
number of users to overcome their
added cost.
“Electronic detonators have opened
new doors for the blasting industry. The
ability to do advanced analysis of blast
energy has increased dramatically due to
the confidence and precision given by
electronic detonators. They are
becoming more economical every day
thanks to their steadily growing customer
base. This, in turn, is providing increasing
opportunities for blasting engineers to
learn how to harness blast energy more
efficiently to better accomplish various
goals, depending on their site-specific
challenges,” states Bush.
Electronic detonators also offer safety
mechanisms. For example, they cannot
be initiated without their accompanying
blast equipment; they can be electroni-
cally verified for proper programming and
connection before leaving the blast area;
and they are generally not susceptible to
initiation from stray currents.
“Their precision allows for blast
optimisation in many forms, such as
vibration minimisation, improved
fragmentation, and improved control of
the muck-pile profile,” says Bush.
Most electronic detonator systems
allow for re-programming of a detonator
right up to the moment of firing the
blast. They also provide ample flexibility
in blast design, as fixed-delay detonator
inventories do not have to be consid-
ered, and trunk line or legwire lengths
for surface connections are not
necessary. This flexibility provides much
simplified inventory management, from
an operational perspective.
Remote (wireless) firing systems are
becoming increasingly popular as they
allow the blast to be initiated from a safe
distance and offer the ability to fire
multiple blasts from one position.
The primary markets for these systems
are in mining operations that have very
large evacuation radii around the blast
area, or restricted line-of-sight access to
the blast area from the firing position.
Bush says: “Geographically, it is helpful
if the site is not mountainous and if open
pits are not small with very steep walls.
However, most sites that elect to use a
wireless system are able to find ways to at
least partially overcome such obstacles.”
He goes on to explain that a good
example of an ideal application for a
wireless firing system is one of Austin’s
clients whose operation has over 30
separate open pits. Between nine and 12
pits are active at any one time, and there
is a maximum driving distance of 20km
between pits.
“The site is very remote, and the blast
area evacuation distance is 2km. The
mine loads and fires up to six separate
blasts per day, usually in distinct pits.
The quantity of lead-in-line required to
reach each blast, coupled with the time
it would take to manually walk the line
out, made lead-in-line use not feasible,”
Bush says.
“Therefore, the initiation method
being used was safety fuse, which comes
with various inherent risks – the principal
being the inability to abort a blast after
the safety fuse has been lit. A remote
system was implemented which has
greatly increased both the safety and
efficiency of the operation.”
trenDS outlooK
While many industry experts regard the
introduction of emulsions and emulsion
blends, the implementation of blast
The benefits of going electronic
Electronic detonators allow for better communication with
the detonator while in the borehole to ensure it is active.
Some of the improvements observed from the use of
electronic initiation systems include:
• Lower vibration levels
• Higher cast percentages
• Pattern expansion
• Improved fragmentation
• Higher frequencies
• Greater safety through encrypted firing signal
Left: a BME
emulsion truck
charging small
diameter
blastholes with
HEF 100
“Most
electronic
initiation
systems
allow for
reprogram
ming of a
detonator
right up
to the
moment
of firing
the blast”

48 EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
modelling and software packages, and
the advent of electronic detonators as
key developments which have changed
the face of mine blasting over the past
20 years, we must continue to look
forward; which trends or technologies
could be the next game changer?
“I believe there is still a lot of
potential development work in
electronics where the computational
power of each detonator can provide
useful information to the blasting
engineer during and after each blast,”
says Rorke. “Measurement techniques
and improved blast modelling pro-
grammes will help to further improve
blasting. BME is also busy with R&D in
emulsion technology to further improve
our ability to utilise used engine oil in
our stable emulsion explosives.”
Bush agrees, stating that the
continuing trend of the blasting industry
to move towards electronic initiation
systems will fuel technological advances
in blast analysis equipment and software.
“This will lead to a deeper understanding
of blast energy and how to best utilise it,”
he says. “The resulting improvement in
blast design could have a very significant
effect on the efficiency of blasting
operations in the mining industry.”
Improving safety will always be a key
trend. Looking at ways to reduce the
number of personnel exposed to the
risks of blasting will continue to influence
development of blasting technologies.
Pratt lists explosives automation, and
the development of MPU trucks and
equipment using GPS guidance and
remote operation as a few areas that
could contribute to greater safety.
Since mining operations are becoming
more challenging, and remaining mineral
deposits are deeper, lower-grade and
harder to find, blasting technologies also
need to become more efficient and
effective at extracting the ore.
Dyno Nobel has developed a
proprietary technology called Differential
Energy. This enables the explosive
engineer to selectively target areas of
the powder column in wet or dry
boreholes with different amounts of
explosive energy.
“Explosive energy is more effectively
used to best match changing rock
properties in the borehole, that is,
putting the right energy in the right
place,” explains Larry Mirabelli, bulk
products and delivery system manager
at Dyno Nobel. “In a recent trial using
Differential Energy, a large gold mine
reduced its overall powder factor by
18%, realised an 8% increase in shovel
productivity in both waste and ore, and
experienced no reduction in crusher
throughput of ore. Additionally, they
dramatically reduced visible nitrous
oxide fumes in even the wettest areas of
the pit.”
Outsourcing blasting
As such a high degree of specialist
knowledge and skill is required to
complete blasting operations safely and
efficiently, it is common for mining
companies to employ specialist
contractors to handle their blasting
needs throughout the life-of-mine.
Many explosives and technology
providers offer additional services in
order to cater to this market. “It is quite
common for mining companies to
request service beyond just delivery of
explosives, and in many cases, it is the
expectation,” says Bush.
For example, technical support
provided for customer blasting
operations can range from scheduled
and one-off visits by blasting specialists,
to permanent on-site mining engineers
who provide daily technical support.
Most explosives companies also provide
a full blasting service that consists of the
provision of crews/equipment to carry
out all blast loading operations,
magazine and inventory management,
and administrative requirements.
“Along with the use of specialist
blasting companies that provide both
technical and operational service, comes
a broad resource of knowledge that is at
the customer’s fingertips,” says Bush. “It
is true that mine personnel who are
on-site daily know their operations best.
But when challenges arise, having access
to a broad range of experience across
various mine types, environments and
countries can prove invaluable when
coupled with the knowledge of local
personnel.”
Rorke reports similar findings: “Often
mining companies use BME to supply
the blasting service and, in some cases,
pay us on a ‘rock-on-ground’ basis. This
type of service appears to be in
increasing demand because of the
shortage of skilled blasting people and
their very high cost.”
He continues: “BME and some of our
competitors invest substantially in
blasting technology and related services,
which our clients have access to. This is a
big benefit to mines as their primary
focus is on mining and not the science
behind blasting.”
The provision of blasting services on
remote mine sites generally requires a
dedicated on-site crew. This, in turn,
requires that the mine is of a size to
justify this cost. If the mine is not in a
remote area, it can often be serviced by
a centralised magazine location and size
is not such a restriction.
“We find that operations/companies
of all sizes can have needs for technical
service. Larger operations are in
continual search of even minute
improvements that have big impacts
when dealing with economies of scale,”
says Bush. “But smaller operations can
often face environmental issues such as
vibration control that can threaten to
significantly reduce their reserves or
even may threaten to shut the operation
down.”
“Blasting is a specialist skill area and
the blasting process occurs at the start
of the mining cycle, so getting it right is
essential,” says Codd. “Action Drill &
Blast understands the mine-to-mill
optimisation process and our systems,
processes and skilled personnel ensure
we are able to provide what our clients
need [in order] to carry out their digging,
crushing and processing operations
efficiently and cost-effectively.
“We find that most in-house
operations have limited technical ability
related to blasting and often need
additional resources to achieve the same
results as a specialist blasting company.”
Dyno Nobel has gone one step further
and established a dedicated division,
DynoConsult, which provides technical
expertise to its blasting customers.
“Because our consultants have a breadth
of industry experience across different
commodities, mining methods and
challenges, they can, in collaboration
Above and
above right:
blasting
preparation and
activity with a
Dyno Nobel
team
BME supplies
explosives and
blasting services
to the African
mining,
quarrying and
construction
industries
“Looking at
ways to
reduce the
number of
personnel
exposed to
the risks of
blasting will
continue to
influence
develop
ment of
blasting
tech
nologies”

49EXPLOSIVES & BLASTING
Operating in one of the most competitive markets in the world, an
Indonesian explosives manufacturer serving the mining industry
recently switched to using a low-grade AN bulk explosive for its
blasting programme as part of a cost-reduction initiative.
Immediately following the change, the company experienced
significant crystallisation with its emulsifier, which led to poor blast
performance, and it switched back to the competitive emulsifier it
had been using previously. However, the company still experienced
crystallisation issues and inconsistent blast performance, partially due
to a reaction between the competitive emulsifier and the sodium
naphthalene sulphonate crystal modifier/anti-caking agent used.
The explosives manufacturer also supplies material to customers
who drill up to 500 holes in their blast patterns and depend on the
explosive to offer a maximum seven-day sleep-time.
It was imperative the company offered a dependable product.
Chemical expert Clariant was tasked with developing a new,
custom-designed emulsifier that eliminates large crystal formations
and improves blast consistency when using low-grade AN bulk
explosives.
As Clariant’s technicians worked through emulsifier trials with the
customer, they discovered that the commonly used ‘feel’ testing
procedure (involving rubbing the emulsion between the fingers) to
determine the amount of crystallisation was too subjective to give
accurate, repeatable results, especially as the act of rubbing the
emulsion itself can cause crystal formation. To overcome this, the
technicians developed a more quantifiable testing procedure that
was able to determine the amount of crystallisation.
Sodium naphthalene sulphonate is commonly used by manufac-
turers of low-grade ammonium nitrate as a crystal modifier/
anticaking agent. Clariant discovered that the quantities of materials
added to this agent varied widely, even within the same product.
Clariant also tested varying percentages of diesel fuel oil and
recycled oil, as well as a variety of its own Arkomon emulsifiers as
part of the research programme. In head-to-head testing against
competitive products, three, one-week trials were conducted to test
the performance of different Arkomon emulsifier formulations
against the customer’s current emulsifier.
Five Arkomon formulations passed the quantitative crystallisation
tests, showing only negligible to moderate crystal formations after
nearly a month. By contrast, the competitive emulsifier failed the
quantitative tests, exhibiting moderate crystallisation within five
days and heavy crystallisation after nearly a month.
Clariant’s Arkomon XP 1014 formula was chosen as the
best-performing emulsifier and was adopted by the customer.
Case study: Clariant custom-developed emulsifiers
with our customers, develop technical
solutions to ensure their operations are
performing optimally,” says David
Gribble, manager at Dyno Consult.
“By adopting a holistic approach to
projects, DynoConsult can deliver
sustainable benefits including cost-sav-
ings and productivity gains. With an
emphasis on sustainable results – not just
recommendations – the DynoConsult
team works in close partnership with our
customers from the scoping stage
through to implementation and ensuring
the benefits are locked in,” he adds.
“The provision
of blasting
services
on remote mine
sites generally
requires a
dedicated
on-site crew”
• Shaft Sinking
• Mine Development
• Contract Mining
• Raiseboring
• Raise Mining
• Underground Construction
• Engineering & Technical Services
• Specialty Services
Read more about our contributors, their products,
services and projects in an extended app version of
this article at: appstore.com/MiningMagazine2013

ADB Mining Magazine - Explosives feature Nov 2013

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ADB Mining Magazine - Explosives feature Nov 2013