Safer blasting agents and procedures for blasting in gassy non-coal mines. Final report, September 9, 1990--December 31, 1993
Hundreds of tests have been conducted in the Bureau`s Lake Lynn Laboratory Cannon Gallery to evaluate the incendivity characteristics of both commercially available and experimental explosive products. The cannon gallery test results have clearly identified several lower incendive explosives that can and have significantly reduced the gas and/or dust ignition hazards associated with blasting in non-coal mines. Several of the lower incendive explosive formulations have undergone full-scale field evaluations and, to date, had been very successful in preventing ignitions in base metal mines with high sulphur-bearing ore. Tests in the cannon gallery have shown that an inert gelled water material outperforms most other stemming agents in preventing the ignition of flammable gases and/or combustible dusts outside of the bore. A new water stemming plug was evaluated in the cannon gallery and shown to be a very effective stemming device. As a means to better evaluate explosive incendivity, the initial development of two instrument sensors are underway. A fiber optic rate probe has been redesigned to accurately measure the detonation velocity of explosives in the cannon bore. A photometric sensor is also under development to measure the peak temperatures of the detonation products exiting the bore. This report discusses the results of the research program including the test apparatus and procedures and summarizes the incendivity data obtained from the various explosives. Results from the full-scale field testing of the lower incendive products in an operating mine are then presented.
- Research Organization:
- Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Pittsburgh Research Center
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI21-90MC27246
- OSTI ID:
- 10143231
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/MC/27246-3677; ON: DE94004087; BR: AC2020000/AC2040000
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Dec 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
UNDERGROUND MINING
EXPLOSIVE FRACTURING
EXPLOSIVES
SAFETY ENGINEERING
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
US BUREAU OF MINES
TEST FACILITIES
GASES
DUSTS
IGNITION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FIELD TESTS
PROGRESS REPORT
016000
012030
450100
HEALTH AND SAFETY
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIONS AND EXPLOSIVES