The 1980s saw a consolidation of the explosives industry. Through mergers and acquisitions, three large manufacturers (ICI Explosives, ETI Inc. and Ireco) now dominate the Canadian underground mining market while at least two juniors (Austin Powder and Thermex Canada) compete for regional markets in Quebec and Ontario respectively. Although corporate consolidation has reduced the number of suppliers, the number of products each manufacturer supplies has actually increased.
From a technical view, miners have been buying progressively more explosives in bulk form over the past four to five years. Their intention has been to reduce the cost of the product (and therefore the cost per tonne of broken ore) by eliminating the need for elaborate packaging. In a sense, explosives manufacturers compete with production drill manufacturers. If enough explosive power can be packed into a small blasthole, miners may be able to justify smaller-diameter drill holes as a way of cutting mining costs. Or, alternatively, drill patterns may be expanded to reduce the total number of holes drilled. This has been the impetus behind the development of emulsion explosives.
An ammonium nitrate fuel oil mixture (anfo), however, is the workhorse of the industry. As an explosive, ANFO is slow, has no resistance to water and produces more heave from expanding gases than shattering due to release of energy. But because it is comparatively inexpensive and can be loaded pneumatically and shot quickly, ANFO is the most widely used explosive in underground mines. Since it is a relatively simple explosive, major manufacturers have passed on the responsibility for mixing ANFO to their distributors. However, if the amount of oil used in the mixture is out of balance, dangerous gases can be produced.
Explosives manufacturers distinguish themselves by, among other factors, their range of specialty products, the technical expertise they offer and how well they listen to their clients. In the accompanying tables, we’ve listed all of the products (appropriate for use underground) offered by each of the five companies mentioned above.
The reader should be cautioned that explosives manufacturers do not test their products according to any standard set of procedures, so specifications are manufacturer-specific and should be compared with those of other manufacturers only with caution. Asterisks apply to velocity of detonation (vod). Explosives with a high vod have a high shock energy component and are more suitable for blasting hard, competent rock.
Austin Powder
Austin Powder has been in the explosives business for 157 years. The Cleveland, Ohio-based manufacturer offers explosives to underground mines in Canada.
A complete line of emulsions is manufactured under the Hydromite and Emulex brand names, the latter being small-diameter, cap-sensitive products (1/1/8/ inches and up).
Bulk blends of emulsion and ANFO are also available under the Heet and Hydromite brand names. These high-density, high-velocity and fast energy release explosives have excellent water resistance. They are available in both bulk and packaged forms.
Austin also has a complete line of gelatins. These highly water-resistant explosives are ideal for blasting under wet conditions. Because of their very good fume qualities, they can also be used underground where permitted by law. Gelatins are available in several brands.
The company also has a full range of dynamites and pre-splitting explosives.
The company’s Helix high explosives are a non-nitroglycerin gelatin, which is especially ideal for underground use.
Explosives Technologies International
Eti is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Investment Capital and is the product of two explosives companies with a combined experience of more than 188 years — namely the American and Canadian explosives divisions of Du Pont which ETI purchased in 1988.
The company’s head office is in Wilmington, Del. Canadian headquarters are in Mississauga, Ont., with manufacturing facilities in North Bay, Ont. and Seneca, Ill.
Today, ETI prides itself in designing products according to customers’ needs, says Michael Rispin, industry manager, mining. Dupont Canada made its business by filling the needs not served by other manufacturers, and ETI is continuing that tradition by its commitment to maintaining a line of both slurry explosives and emulsions. The result is an extensive line of products.
For small-diameter production and development blastholes (from 25 to 100 mm in diameter), ETI manufactures three types of water gel explosives for hardrock mines and three types for underground coal mines.
The company’s Tovex Loader is a cap-sensitive, cartridged water gel designed for use with a pneumatic cartridge loader for upholes. Tovex Sak Pak is a product for secondary blasting jobs. It is specially packaged to conform to the surface of the rock in blasting drawpoint hangups and oversize muck. Packaged emulsions are also available to complement the water gels in these two applications.
Trimrite is designed for wall control blasting applications.
For large-diameter blastholes (90 mm and up), ETI manufactures four water gel blends. The low-density blend is used extensively for wall control in vertical retreat mining stopes in the Sudbury basin, Rispin says.
Bagged emulsion blends called Tovan Extra are used mainly in underground mines although they are also used on surface.
Eti offers three blasting agents: Nilite Free Running, Nilite Water Resistant and an ANFO product blended with polystyrene pellets for lower density.
Speciality products include explosives for cutting the loose ends of cable or rock bolts once they are installed. These products are called Detacabe I and Detaprime II.
As for the future, “we’re now getting more into the blasting services (monitoring, etc.) side of the industry,” Rispin says. “And we’re also looking at expanding our line of pumpable products.”
ICI Explosives Canada
ICI Explosives Canada (formerly c-i-l) has been the leader in the Canadian explosives industry from day one (it is now a subsidiary of Chemical Industries of the United Kingdom). “No one else has our depth of technical resources,” says Roy Aspden, manager of Handi-bulk sales.
The company markets a full range of underground explosives including emulsions, dynamites and slurries in both the detonator-and booster- sensitive classes.
Magnafrac, a bulk emulsion-type, high-energy explosive, was introduced about five years ago, says Lorne Bellamy, manager of training and information. These explosives replaced slurry explosives. Since they can be repumped many times, emulsions constitute a system of delivery, storage and loading. “Emulsions are going to be here for a long time,” Bellamy says.
ICI will actually design emulsions to particular applications by varying the explosive density and viscosity. “We can address every hole diameter through custom-designing the product,” Bellamy says. In the near future, probably within two years, ICI expects to drop its Powermex line of slurry explosives in favor of the Magnafrac emulsions.
The key to an emulsion’s effectiveness and high velocity, Bellamy says, is the fineness of the oxidizer particles (about 1.5 microns in the case of Magnafrac).
For wall control, ICI has three products: Xactex, Amex and Primaflex. In wet ground, the company has a range of dynamites and slurries and a low-density blasting agent called Lomex II.
Aquamex is a trinitrotoluene-(tnt-) sensitive slurry explosive designed specifically for large-diameter blastholes commonly used in vertical crater retreat mining.
Another specialty product is called BL738. It comes in cartridges four feet long and is designed specifically for conventional shaft sinking.
For secondary blasting, ICI markets a product called Magnapak.
Ireco Canada
Ireco, owned by Dyno Industrier of Norway, has been serving the Canadian mining industry for more than 30 years.
The company markets three general types of explosives: non-nitroglycerin high explosives, dynamites and emul
sions. Its line of slurry explosives is a significant seller for the company.
Powermite is a cap-sensitive, packaged emulsion designed for use in wet or dry conditions. It is available in three brands — Powermite, Powermite Plus and Super Powermite — each with a different weight strength, bulk strength and gas volume.
The company’s Iremite and Blastex emulsions are designed for small- diameter applications.
Iregetl RU is an underground repumpable bulk emulsion blasting agent.
The company has three types of dynamites: Extra Gelatin, Unigel (a semigelatin dynamite) and Iresplit (for perimeter control). Its only non- nitroglycerin high explosive is called Iredyne 365.
Thermex Canada
Sudbury-based Thermex Canada is a subsidiary of Dallas, Tex.-based Thermex Energy Corp. The company markets non cap-sensitive slurry explosives (T-600) in packaged or bulk forms, a cap-sensitive slurry (Detagel) in packaged form, and a watergel/anfo blend (T-6000).
Detogel contains no nitroglycerin.
Specialty products include Detagel, a cap-sensitive slurry designed for pre-splitting applications.
North Channel Engineering
Sudbury-based North Channel Engineering is marketing a specialty blasting system for safely blasting hung-up ore chutes. Called Safe Shot, the system consists of a series of connecting poles or plastic tubes and a burlap sack at the end. B line is tied around the blasting agent and inserted into the burlap sack. Then a whistle is inserted into the bag and the bag is then tied or taped securely and attached to the end of one of the tubes. The sack is raised into the hung-up area by connecting a number of tubes together (up to 22 metres). ANFO is then blown up the tubes into the sack, using an ANFO loader. The poles are then disconnected using a right-hand turn of the pole and the charge detonated.
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