Improving the efficiency of blasting operations in mines with the help of emulsion explosives

Purpose. To improve the efficiency of blasting operations in mines taking into consideration the upgrading of equipment used to charge blastholes as well as application of high-productive mining equipment of new generation. Methods. The activities used mine experimental pressure-charged blasts to break oversize material as well as mine experimental analysis of blasthole charging to estimate the improvement of efficiency of the emulsion explosives (EEs). Findings. It has сbeen determined that both sticked and bulk emulsion explosives of Ukrainit-PP-2 type as well as new options of charging facilities have following technological characteristics: availability of unique space-saving designs of two-component piston dosing pumps of double-action EE components; sufficiently high efficiency of blasthole charging being up to 60 kg of EE/min; ease of service and maintenance; rather long overhaul period of EE components as for the dosing pump as well as cheapness of attachable equipment; availability of both electronic and visual means to control EE preparation and charging. Originality. It has been proved that the improvement of blasting operations in mines results from the intensified technological processes of blasthole charging characterized by the use of such high-productive self-propelled and space-saving facilities of new generation as machines of ZEVS-1 model and portable charges of ZEP-15 type as well as the use of such environmentally friendly bulk trinitrotoluene-free emulsion explosives as Ukrainit-PP-2. Practical implications. Use of EEs in the process of mine blasting operations provides safety, high-quality rock breakage and fragmentation in the context of minimum toxicity of rock, breakage of rocks having any hardness and water content. Moreover, their use is economically efficient.