Blasting systems and methods
OwnerAllen Parkinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one preferred form of the present invention there is provided a method of stemming a blast hole with a super absorbent polymer. The method includes providing a super absorbent polymer substance as a gelled length in the blast hole. The gelled length provides a pressure wave reflecting stem, to increase the efficiency of an explosive during blasting, with the explosive being located in the blast hole.
Claims30
1-64. (canceled)
A method of stemming a blast hole, the method comprising:
- providing a gel type substance as a gelled length in the blast hole, as a pressure wave reflecting stem, to increase efficiency of an explosive during blasting with the explosive being located in the blast hole.
A blast hole arrangement comprising:
- an explosive and a gel type substance in a blast hole;
- the gel type substance providing a gelled length as a pressure wave reflecting stem in the blast hole to increase the efficiency of the explosive in the blast hole during blasting.
A blast hole arrangement as claimed in 82 wherein the gel type substance comprises a super absorbent polymer gel, and a zero to near-zero interstitial free water volume is provided between swollen particles of the super absorbent polymer gel, over a substantial portion of the gelled length;
- the zero to near-zero interstitial free water volume serving to reflect the pressure wave from the explosive during said blasting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.