Truly energy can neither be created not be destroyed but can change from one form to another. Explosive are chemical compound which at detonation releases specific joules of energy. The energy release during Blasting travels in form of shock wave, heat energy, light energy, sound energy and gas energy. The first release is light energy followed by shock wave which is associated with heat energy.
The last release energy is the gas energy which finalize the work need to be done by Explosive charge.
Energy is defined by various scholars as the ability needs to do work. The work before Explosive during detonation is to explode rock mass, fragment rock mass, throw rock piles and to cause other negative effects like ground vibration, airblast, and rock projection (flyrock)
Sequence of Explosive energy ULTILIZATION during Blasting
The light energy travels faster than all others energy, it shows the initiation direction of Explosive charge detonation.
Thou the charges are initiated by shock energy.
Checking most slow play rock Blasting videos we see first the sequence lightning which is been followed by the shock waves then sound energy.
By the reason of definition, high Explosives are those capable of detonating under the shock energy produce by cap number 8 to release shock energy faster than the speed of sound.
Shock energy perform diver functions among which include ignition of the base charge and column Explosive charge.
The shock wave from the detonator initiate the primer and detonate the Explosive column. The shock wave in a view of achieving the fragmentation work requires from Explosive, it create radial cracks into the rock mass within the design burden and spacing.
The micro-cracks are created under compression and tensile slabbing. This prepare the rock for explosion.
Rock By definition (dipping towards Bowel series reaction: The pit of temperature influence during magma grains growth)
Rocks are by definition the aggregate of many minerals. Each available rock on Earth can be categories into basically three classes;
1. Igneous rocks,
2. Sedimentary rocks, and
3. metamorphic rocks
1. igneous rock (also called the primary rocks): is formed generally by the cooling and solidification of molten magma flowing through volcano vent from the magma chamber located legendly in the mantle. Examples are basalt (apharitic texture rocks known to be volcanic igneous rock due to it surface eruption and rapid cooling rate), granite (the most abundant rock on Earth, usually phaneritic in texture composing dominantly mica, feldspar and Quartz. Other types are pegmatite, gabbro, obsidian and pumice.
Flashing l Other rock classification
2. sedimentary rock: formed by the reaction of diagenesis process (compaction and lithification) on deposited rock sediments. Usually deposited in beds/strata in obedient to superposition principle. Examples includes; sandstone, limestone, clay, shale among others.
3. metamorphic rocks: This class of rocks are formed by the occurrence of metamorphosis process on pre-existing rocks. This process involve the change in rock form under the influence of high temperature and pressure. Example includes; gneiss, marble, Dolomite, quartzite, schist among others.
I choose not to dig deep in this rock of a thing so I don't end up talking for hours on rocks. Rocks are my textbook anyway we need to learn a bit about them.
I was trying to register the idea of heat functionality in rock breakage during Blasting before I was been tossed into the stope and winze of rock classification.
What I was about doing is to explain the concept of bowel series reaction which form the basic foundation for mineral formation during magma cooling.
The idea of heat energy is that, upon Explosive charge detonation, The heat energy weakens the rock Mineral grains bond. It cooks most of the rock minerals to the point of recrystallization which enables the creation of radial micro cracks by shock wave during tensile slabbing. Thou the process of heat transfer during explosion occurs very rapid. The heat cook up the grains and create path of weakness for the waves to travel compressively and tensionally.
I keep picturing this idea in my mind untill I come to understand it during the process of breaking rocks using sledge hammer. The small scale miners and artisan miners (SSM & AM) call this operation knocking process. Thou it not included in mining process sequence (Drilling, Blasting, mucking, loading and haulage).
I also read history on past old age mining approach, the miner in a bit to break rock boulders cook up the boulders with fire so as to cause particulate and grain expansion. The boulders are heated beyond the thermal spallability strength of the rock, just to enables it fracturing during hammering.
Also, in the place of thermal drilling process where by oxygen and fuel oil is burn below the drill bit so as to cook up the rock for fast Penetration of drill bit during grinding, crushing of the rock by the bit cones/tooth.
Heat release during Explosive charge detonation aid the easy cracking and slabbing of the rock.
I will stop here about that for now.
To the gas energy, it function is to fill the created cracks and due to its high pressure nature causes explosion of slabbed and unstable rock mass.The gas energy perform the explosion and the throw of rock pile.The reason for proper Blast design is to ensure this Explosive release energies are use positively.
Some of the control factors include the powder factor, bur
The burden and spacing, the rock characteristics (uncontrollable factors), Explosive proper selection among other factors.
Thanks for reading.
If you gain anything try to comment this phase:
"Explosive is for peace and not for war, for making money and not for terrorism"
##Giant_Miner
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