Performance evaluation of emulsion/water-gel explosives and comparison with dynamite in Sri Lankan quarrying practices

Abstract

At present, Dynamite is currently manufactured only in a few countries as a commercial explosive due to its high cost hazardousness. Therefore import and supply do not match the demand patterns which inevitably result in considerable inconvenience to the quarry industrialists to certain degree affecting the development of this industry which has a direct bearing on the country's infrastructure development. Consequently, there is great necessity to manufacture high quality explosive of low cost and less hazardousness as a substitute for Dynamite. By using Magnesium/micro glass bubbles/ Aluminium, instead of the main sensitizer (Nitro Glycerin) of Dynamite, Slurry explosives (Water-Gel) are manufactured under the similar process as a powerful explosive. In this instance, the industrialists have been compelled to use the low cost but almost untested explosive as a substitute. Research so far carried out only show that the product is substandard which dictates further the investigation.