BME, a blasting and explosives company, developed Innovex 300D, a high-strength bulk emulsion explosive for surface mining conditions that include dynamic water.
According to Rakhi Pathak, BME’s global manager of strategic partnerships, dynamic water is a common issue for surface mines leading to a variety of operational and environmental challenges.
“When there is excessive water flow in and around blastholes, emulsion ‘runoff’ often occurs due to cracks or fissures in fractured geology,” Pathak says. “This is particularly problematic in conditions such as damaged ground, fractured or weathered rocks, sensitive geology and acidic mine conditions.”
Pathak says these conditions exacerbate operational difficulties and environmental hazards. They can lead to misfires and incomplete detonation, for instance, as well as the possible leaching of nitrates into the environment.
“Dynamic water can also lead to higher levels of nitrous oxide fumes being generated,” she says. “This results from the dampening of explosives – which can cause incomplete detonation – as well as from the oxygen balance and chemical reaction being affected by the presence of water.”
To counter these challenges, BME says Innovex 300D offers enhanced resistance to dynamic water, reducing the likelihood of misfires. BME says the product features an adjustable rheology, making it suitable for highly friable and fractured geological conditions.
“Our solution allows the viscosity and flow behavior of the emulsion to be adjusted to meet any blasting requirements,” Pathak says. “This ability to adjust the rheology makes a valuable contribution to optimizing the material performance, improving handling, ensuring safety and achieving the desired blasting outcome.”
BME’s blasting system includes a mobile manufacturing unit equipped with an in-line monitoring device for real-time viscosity adjustments and monitoring. According to BME, Innovex 300D is highly resistant to free ammonia, which is commonly found in mine water and tailing dams. It also resists acidic sulphate soil conditions, such as rocks containing pyrite that can produce sulphuric acid.
Nishen Hariparsad, general manager of technology and marketing at BME, says Innovex 300D supports the company’s commitment to the environment, enhancing the sustainability efforts of BME customers.
“Preventing environmental contamination is nonnegotiable among responsible mining companies, and our solutions support the industry’s ongoing progress in this regard,” Hariparsad says. “Minimizing nitrate leaching is an important aspect of this imperative.”
