Dead-pressing Phenomenon in Emulsion Explosives

Shulin Nie
Swedish Detonic Research Foundation
Box 32058
S-126 11 Stockholm, Sweden

ABSTRACT

The dead-pressing phenomenon in emulsion explosives is wellknown. Research work on

this subject has been carried out at the Swedish Detonic Research Foundation for the last
few years. Several experiments with emulsion explosives under dynamic pressure
condition have been carried out both in iron pipes and in blast holes in rock. The main
object was to study the critical amplitude and duration of the pressure causing the
explosive to be dead-pressed.

This paper describes two series of experiments, one made in iron pipes and the other in
blast holes in an underground mine. The tests in iron pipes show that an emulsion
explosive with microballoon Q-CEL 719 can be dead-pressed within 10 ms by a pressure
of approximately 10 MPa, while the same emulsion explosive but with microballoon
B37/2000 can stand for a pressure higher than 100 MPa. The tests in blast holes show that
the detonation in one hole imposes a pressure higher than 50 MPa on the explosives in the
neighbouring holes, where the hole spacing is about 20 cm for φ 64 mm holes. With
increasing hole spacing, the pressure transferred decreases rapidly.

INTRODUCTION

It is a known phenomenon that industrial explosives such as ANFO and emulsion

explosives may be desensitized when they are subjected to external pressure. The
desensitization of an explosive means a decrease in its chemical reaction rate and in its
reaction extent. In the extreme case, where the reaction rate is decreased to zero, the
explosive has lost its detonability totally and become dead-pressed.

Along with the wider use of the emulsion explosives and higher demands on the blasting
results, intensive research work on desensitization of the emulsion explosives has been
carried out in the past few years. Progress has been made especially in the following
aspects:

* Pressure gages have been developed /1, 2/.

* Pressure wave profiles have been measured in boreholes in coal /1, 3/, in boreholes
in rock /4/ and in explosive charges underwater /5/.
* Detonability of various emulsion explosives has been tested in underwater blast
tests /6/ and with other methods /7/.

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 * A rugged emulsion explosive has been developed /8/.

Studies on the pressure desensitization on emulsion explosives at the Swedish Detonic

Research Foundation (SveDeFo) have been carried out in recent years. A pressure gage
/2/, based on a piezo ceramic material, and a method to test the detonability of the
emulsion explosives in iron pipes have been developed. This paper describes two series of
experiments, one of which was carried out in boreholes in rock to measure the cross-hole
pressure profile and the other was carried out in iron pipes to test the detonability of
emulsion explosives.

2. DYNAMIC PRESSURE ON EXPLOSIVE CHARGES IN BOREHOLES

2.1 Experiment Set-up

A series of experiments has been carried out in a very competent rock of quartz porphyry
type in a Swedish underground mine. Efforts have been concentrated on measuring the
dynamic pressure, which an explosive charge in a borehole is subjected to when a
neighbouring hole is detonated.

Boreholes φ 64 mm were drilled in five drifts in a pattern similar to that used in tunnelling,
shown in Fig. 1. The hole lengths varied between 2 and 4 m.

At each blast, one blast hole was detonated and the cross-hole pressure pulses were
measured in three neighbouring holes with varied distance to the detonating hole. An
example is shown in Fig. 1 where hole No. 2 was detonated and the pressure pulses were
measured in hole Nos. 1, 4 and 11. Both the detonating hole and the measuring holes were
charged with a bulk emulsion explosive. The detonating hole was initiated by a primer of
25 g plastic PETN at the bottom of the hole.

The fractures or cracks between the detonating hole and the measuring holes were
investigated by a so-called water permeability method /4/ prior to the blast.

The pressure gages which were developed at SveDeFo based on a piezo ceramic material
were located inside the explosives in the measuring holes.

Totally, nine blasts were fired and pressures were measured in 26 measuring holes. The
distance between the detonating hole and the measuring hole varied from 0.22 m to 1.03 m.

2.2 The Dynamic Pressure Measured in a Borehole

The duration of the pressure pulse measured in the explosive in a borehole varied from 5
to 39 ms with an average value of approximately 20 ms.

The amplitude of the pressure pulse has been plotted versus the distance between the
detonating and the measuring hole in Fig. 2. A regression line in log-log plot may be
expressed by:

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 -1.95
P = 0.91 R

where P = pressure amplitude in explosive in a borehole (MPa)

d = distance from the borehole to the detonating hole (m)

The pressure amplitude decreases very rapidly with the increasing distance to the
detonating hole. For example, when the distance is 0.22 m, the detonation in the
detonating hole can impose a pressure higher than 50 MPa on the explosive in the
measuring hole. When the distance is increased to 1 m, the corresponding pressure is
reduced to approximately 1 MPa.

3. DETONABILITY OF EMULSION EXPLOSIVES UNDER DYNAMIC

PRESSURE

3.1 Testing Method

A method to test the detonability of emulsion explosives under dynamic pressure has been
developed. The configuration is illustrated in Fig. 3.

Explosives are tested in a iron pipe measuring 52 mm in inner diameter, 4 mm in wall

thickness and approximately 1.5 m in length. A clay mass divides the pipe into two
compartments. In the smaller compartment, ca 50 mm long, a black powder charge is
loaded. In the larger compartment, about 4 kg emulsion explosive is loaded. A 50 g
pressed PETN primer containing a No. 8 electrical detonator with a certain delay time is
placed at the end of the explosive column opposite the black powder. Thereafter, the iron
pipe is closed with hoods.

The black powder and the detonator are initiated simultaneously. Thus, the burning of the
black powder generates a dynamic pressure which pressurizes the explosive before it is
initiated by the primer with the delayed detonator.

Two SveDeFo pressure gages are mounted in the explosive to register the pressure. The
signals through the amplifiers are recorded by a LeCroy 7200 digital oscilloscope.

The pulse width of the pressure signal has been measured earlier to a value between 35
and 140 ms.

Up to now, two explosives with the same matrix but different glass microballoons (GMB)
have been tested. The first explosive contains GMB Q-CEL 719 from The PQ Corporation
and the second one contains B37/2000 from 3M.

The detonability of the tested explosives was determined by the visual examination and
the sound level from the blast. If the explosive was dead-pressed, a length, usually about 1
m, of the iron pipe with the explosive inside remained after the blast. Otherwise, neither

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the pipe nor the explosive could be recovered on the test site.

In the case that the explosive was dead-pressed, the remainder of the pipe with the
explosive was recovered and a second initiation with a primer of the same type was
carried out after a time interval.

3.2 Results

The detonability of the explosive with GMB B37/2000 and Q-CEL 719 are plotted in Fig.
4 and 5 respectively. Detailed explanations are given in the figure captions.

Since it is very difficult to achieve a pressure higher than 100 MPa in the iron pipes due to
the leakage from the cable holes, the maximum pressure tested was approximately 100
MPa.

The results depicted in the figures show that the breakage of the GMBs is the reason for
the dead-pressing of the explosives. For example, the explosive with GMB Q-CEL 719 is
dead-pressed at a pressure of approximately 10 MPa while the one with GMB B37/2000
can stand a pressure of 100 MPa. In other words, the matrix in the tested explosive is
strong enough to withstand a pressure of at least 100 MPa.

When the explosive with GMB Q-CEL 719 was dead-pressed, it took place very rapidly,
within a time less than 10 ms.

The area to the right of the broken line A in Fig. 5 shows an interesting and important
result. That is, the remainder of the dead-pressed explosive trade somehow regained its
detonability when the second initiation was carried out. However, this recovery time is
very long, about 30 minutes. Therefore, this feature of the emulsion explosives may not be
utilized in a normal blast round. The mechanism of this recovery is still unknown.

By comparing Fig. 4 and 5 with Fig. 2, one can conclude that the explosive with GMB
Q-CEL 719 will not function properly in a blast pattern where the hole diameter is 64 mm
and the hole spacing is less than or about 0.3 m, while the explosive with GMB B37/2000
will.

A quantitative visual observation has also been made on the explosion gases during the
experiments. It has been seen that a pressure desensitized explosive, including the one
with recovered detonability, produced much darker gas clouds. This reveals a lower
chemical reaction extent of the explosive.

4. CONCLUSIONS

- Matrix and GMBs are the two components in an emulsion explosive. The strength of the
weakest one determines the pressure durability of the explosive. In the tests, the matrix
tolerates more than 100 MPa. Therefore, the breakage of the GMBs is the reason for the
dead-pressing.

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- The explosive containing GMB Q-CEL 719 can be dead-pressed at a pressure level of 10
MPa, while the one containing GMB B37/2000 can withstand more than 100 MPa.

- It takes a very short time, less than 10 ms, to dead-press an emulsion explosive.
However; it requires a very long time, about 30 minutes, for the dead-pressed emulsion
explosive to recover its detonability.

- The reaction extent in a pressure desensitized explosive is lower than in a normal

explosive.

- An explosive charge in a borehole in rock can be exposed to a very high pressure, e.g.
higher than 50 Mpa, depending on the distance to the detonating hole.

- The knowledge of the pressure durability of an explosive and the pressure this explosive
can be subjected to in a borehole provides a guideline for both the blasters and the
explosive manufacturers to match the explosive with the actual blast conditions. This can
result in a better blasting quality and lower explosive costs.

REFERENCES

1, Wieland M S: Cross Borehole Stress Wave Measurements in Underground Coal.

S-E-E*, Anaheim, California. 1988.

2, Nie S, et al: Measuring Dynamic Pressure in ANFO and Emulsion Explosives -

Experiences in Developing a Pressure Gauge Based on a Piezo Ceramic Material.
SveDeFo Report DS 1990:1. Sweden. 1990.

3, Wieland M S: The Laboratory Determination of Dynamic Pressure Resistance of

Cap-sensitive Explosives. S-E-E*, Orlando, Florida. 1990.

4, Nie S, et al: Pressure Effects on Explosives in Boreholes. SveDeFo Report DS

1991:5G. Sweden. 1991. (In Swedish).

5, Mohanty B and Deshaies R: Pressure Effects on Density of Small Diameter

Explosives. S-E-E*, New Orleans, Louisiana. 1989.

6, Matsuzawa T, et al: Detonability of Emulsion Explosives under Various Pressures.

Journal of the Industrial Explosives Society, Japan. Vol 43, No. 5. 1982.

7, Huidobro J and Austin M: Shock Sensitivity of Various Permissible Explosives.

S-E-E*, Orlando, Florida. 1992.

8, Ruhe T C and Wieland M S: Rugged Emulsion Explosive Formulation #37

Candidate Permissible. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of Society of

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 Explosives Engineers, Orlando, Florida. 1992.

Fig. 4. Detonability of the tested emulsion explosive containing GMB B37/2000 under
dynamic pressure.

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Waiting time = the delay time between the arrival of the pressure at and the initiation of
the explosive.

Fig. 5. Detonability of the tested emulsion explosive containing GMB Q-CEL 719 under
dynamic pressure.

Waiting time = the delay time between the arrival of the pressure at and the initiation of
the explosive.

The area to the left of the broken line A contains the results from the first initiation. The
value of the pressure is the pressure generated by the black powder which pressurizes the
explosive before it is initiated by the primer, see Fig. 3.

The area to the right of the broken line A summarizes the results from the second
initiation, i.e. the dead-pressed explosives left from the first initiation have been
reinitiated. In those cases, the explosives trade actually been pressurized by two pressure
pulses, one generated by the black powder and the other by the first primer. However, the
pressure from the primer is too high to be measured by the gages. Therefore, in this area,
the pressure value is still the pressure from the black powder which the explosive had been
subjected to at the first initiation.

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