Outline

• What is an Explosive
• Basics of Explosive Types
UWA Resource Engineering • Ideal and Non-ideal explosives
• Explosive Characteristics
• Commercial Explosive Types
An Introduction to Explosives • Bulk Explosive Delivery Systems
• Initiating Explosives
• Questions?

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EXPLOSIVE TYPES
The Fire Triangle
•WHAT IS AN EXPLOSIVE? Oxygen

•An explosive is a solid, liquid or gas which is in

metastable state and is capable of undergoing a rapid
chemical reaction in the absence of external reactants
(atmospheric oxygen), and yield energy. Fire
Fuel Ignition

Oxidation - Reduction gases + heat

(slow)

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Basic Explosive Types

The Detonation Triangle
•Mechanical
Oxidiser
eg : Heating water in a closed vessel, volcano
•Nuclear
eg : splitting
li i or fusing
f i atomic
i nuclei
l i
Detonation •Chemical
Fuel Ignition eg : sudden, violent decomposition of a chemical
Oxidation - Reduction gases + heat
mixture
(fast)

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 Classification of Explosives Explosives
•High explosives
– detonate faster than speed of sound
Atomic Chemical Mechanical
– generate high pressures (>300 MPa)
Low High – eg : Emulsion explosives, PETN, NG

Molecular Composite Secondary Primary

•Low
Low explosives
– deflagrate or burn slower than the speed of
Molecular Composite
Black Powder sound
ICE = Insensitive Composite Explosive
ICE ANFO Dynamite – generate lower pressures (<100 MPa)
WBE = Water Based Explosive WBE EBE CCE
EBE = Emulsion Based Explosive – eg : black powder
CCE = Cast Composite Explosive

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High Explosives
•Primary explosives : COMPOSITE EXPLOSIVES
detonated by a spark, flame or impact ANFO example
eg : NG, lead azide, mercury fulminate
AN Prill Diesel fuel
•Secondary
S d explosives
l i :
require a detonation wave of considerable
3NH4NO3 + CH2
magnitude to
detonate
Two seperate non explosive components
eg : TNT, Comp B, PETN, emulsion explosives mixed together to form an explosive.

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Molecular Explosives Ideal/Non-Ideal Explosives

•Ideal - Molecular explosives :
TNT NG – High VOD, can be calculated theoretically
CH3
NO2 NO2 CH 2 ONO 2 – Very low Dcrit
H CH 2 ONO 2 – High density
H
NO2 CH 2 ONO 2
– No diameter effects
PETN •Non
N idideall - Composite
C i explosives
l i :
ONO 2 – Variable VOD, impossible to derive simply
CH 2
– Higher Dcrit
O2 NO H2 C C CH 2 ONO 2
– Low density
CH 2
– Diameter of charge affects VOD
ONO 2

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 Shock Wave
Detonation Diameter Effects

Shock Undisturbed
Front Explosive
Stable Reaction Products,
Mainly Gas C-J Plane VOD
Expanding Gases
EXPLOSIVE
Direction of Detonation

Primary Reaction
Zone
Charge Diameter

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Detonation properties Velocity of Detonation

•Speed of detonation travelling through
the explosive (m/s)
•Detonation pressure
– Influenced by :
•Blasthole pressure • Charge diameter
•Energy/strength
gy g • Explosive
p density
y
• Particle size
•Velocity of detonation
• Confinement
(VOD)
• Primer
– VOD will influence how the energy is
released from the explosive

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Explosive Energy Effective Energy

Emulsion
Activation energy
effective pressure
effective pressure
gy
Energ

Released Energy
ANFO

Time
Time
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 WHAT IS THE MOST COMMONLY USED
EXPLOSIVE TYPES CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVE?

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YES IT’S ANFO WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF

WHICH HAS THESE ADVANTAGES ANFO?
•LOW COST •NO WATER RESISTANCE
•EASY TO MANUFACTURE
•ENERGY PARTITION WELL SUITED TO BLASTING AN is actually hygroscopic which means it is so “keen” to
JOINTED (MOST) ROCKS dissolve in water that it will absorb water from air.
HIGH WEIGHT STRENGTH
•HIGH

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Effect of water on VOD of

AN in Accidents
ANFO
• Oppau Germany 1921 – 450 tonnes
4000
detonates – 450 people killed
3500
D (m/s)

3000 • Texas City USA 1947 – 2600 tonnes

detonates – 750 people killed
VOD

2500
2000
1500
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Wt % water

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 WHAT EXPLOSIVES OVERCOME THIS
Fume Generation from ANFO DISADVANTAGE?
60
•EMULSION AND
WATERGEL BASED
50 NOx CO EXPLOSIVES

40
Fume ((l/kg)

HIGH WATER RESISTANCE

30 HIGH
G VOD,
O DENSITY
S
(MORE SHOCK)
20
HIGHER BULK STRENGTH
10 THAN ANFO

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Fuel Oil (wt%)

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EMULSION/ANFO BLENDS Bulk Explosive Trucks

•BLEND WITH ANFO TO •Carry AN, Fuel and
CHANGE PROPERTIES
•0-40% ANFO - PUMPABLE
Emulsion in separate
BLENDS HIGHLY WATER tanks/bins
RESISTANT
•Meter and mix
HIGH VOD
LOWER HEAVE THAN components during
ANFO discharge
•Can vary blend

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Bulk Explosive Trucks Loading Pumped Emulsion

•Total capacity 4-15T •In wet holes - hose
•Must have: must go to bottom of
– Signs
g - Class 5.1 hole
– Fire extinguishers •Emulsion displaces
– Battery isolator water
– Eyewash •Charge stays at
– Trained operator bottom of hole
– QC cups and scales

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 Hole Loading

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ANFO/EMULSION BLENDS

•60-100% ANFO - “HEAVY ANFO”

•WATER RESISTANCE MODERATE TO NONE
HIGH DENSITY
HIGH SHOCK
REQUIRE INTERMEDIATE TO LARGE
DIAMETER BLASTHOLE

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ELECTRIC DETONATOR
Initiating Explosives
Plastic covered
INSTANT
lead wires

Neoprene plug
Detonator tube

Fusehead

Priming charge
Base charge

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 Nonel Detonators Nonel Detonators
• Nonel tube
– Hollow
– Inside tube coated with HMX/aluminium - Silver
– Shock wave - 2000 m/s Aluminium Steele Transition Nonel Shock Tube
– Cut - moisture - misfire Shell Sleeve Element

Three layer design allows powder retention, oil resistance and tube strength to be
combined
Abrasion Resistance
PETN Diazo Delay Anti-Static Cup
Element
Oil Resistance, elongation and Powder Retention
tensile strength

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Nonel Types Other types of detonators

•NPED - Non Primary Explosive Detonator

•MS in-hole delay detonator
– Contains no primary explosive to increase
•MS surface delay connector safety
•MS Snapline surface delay unit – Designed by Dyno Nobel Europe

•Electronic Detonators
– Newer forms still under development

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Initiation systems Initiation Comparison

®
DAVEYTRONIC Cross Section of detonator.

1. Circuit board IED assembly. 6 . Firing ca pacitor.

2. Duplex detonator wire. 7 . Fus e head .

3. Crimped plug. 8 . P rim a ry charge .

4. Logic capacitor. 9. B ase ch arge .

5. ASIC processor.

electronic caps
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