Method for controlled fragmentation of hard rock and concrete by the combination use of impact hammers and small charge blasting
AssigneeBolinas Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJohn David Watson, Brian P. Micke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method for breaking rock and other hard materials using small-charge blasting techniques followed by a mechanical impact breaker. In small-charge blasting techniques, a gas is released into the bottom of a sealed hole located in a free surface of the hard material. The gas pressure rises rapidly in the hole until the gas pressure causes the hard material to fracture. The impact breaker is then used to complete fracturing of the material and to remove the fractured material.
Claims11
A method for controlled fragmentation of a hard material, comprising:
- (a) releasing gas in the bottom of a hole located in a free surface of the hard material;
- (b) sealing the gas in the bottom of the hole to pressurize the hole bottom and cause a fracture to propagate from the bottom of the hole, thereby forming a fractured portion of the hard material a portion of which is exposed in the free surface surrounding the hole;
- and
- (c) impacting the fractured portion exposed at the free surface with an impact breaker to remove the material in the fractured portion from the free surface.
A method for controlled fragmentation of a hard material, comprising:
- (a) releasing gas into the bottom of a hole located in a free surface of the hard material;
- (b) sealing the gas in the bottom of the hole to pressurize the hole bottom and cause a fracture to propagate from the bottom of the hole, thereby forming a fractured portion of the hard material in the free surface surrounding the hole;
- and
- (c) impacting the fractured portion exposed at the free surface with a blunt object to remove the material in the fractured portion from the free surface, wherein the blunt object contacts the free surface with a blow energy of at least about 0.5 kilojoules and a blow frequency of at least about 1 blow per second.
A method for controlled fragmentation of a hard material, comprising:
- (a) releasing gas into the bottom of a hole located in a free surface of the hard material;
- (b) sealing the gas in the bottom of the hole to pressurize the hole bottom and cause a fracture to propagate from the bottom of the hole, thereby forming a fractured portion of the hard material in the free surface surrounding the hole;
- and
- (c) impacting the fractured portion exposed at the free surface with a mechanical impact breaker to remove the material in the fractured portion from the free surface, wherein the mechanical impact breaker contacts the free surface with a blow energy of at least about 0.5 kilojoules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.