New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-08-10
EXPERTS Commend
CHEAPER BLASTING
Liquid Oxygen Makes an Excellent
and Useful Explosive

Washington. Aug. 1o.-The use of
liquid oxygen as an excellent and
cheap explosive In salt, metal and
other non-gaseous mines and in quar-
~ and other outside blasting, is rec
commended by the United States Bur-
eau of Mines after series of tests
Preliminary experiments in this novel
explosive, conducted at the bureaus
experimental station at Pittsburgh, in
dictate that 1t may be used to adyan-
tage where dusts and gases are not
; present, but Is especially useful else
where In lessening the cost of blast
ing.
While liquid oxygen has not been
used in this country so farNfo this
purpose, 1t is already widely used in
Mexican mines; has been employed In
large quantities in the Upper Silesian
mines of Germany since the war, and
has been adapted to tunnel work, iron
mining, subway and excavation work
in cities in that country. 1t was ueed
not only in Germany but in the
French iron mines of Lorraine after
the German seizure and applied by
them also to the destruction of French
steel plants. French officials of the
Briey iron district believe the explos-
i've has come to stay, and the bureau
Is conducting negotiations with Alas
kan companies for it's adoption there.
An advantage is that 1t can be pre-
pared on the job at low cost after
the erection Of comprising plants,
which will make it of especial value
in Alaska. AS liquid oxygen can be
made at the place of consumption,
dangers common to the transporta-
ton of other explosives can be done
away with. Low production cost, les
sening the cost per unit of material
blasted, is another advantage.
In the use of liquid oxygen explo-
sizes there is practically no danger of
premature ignition, it was found The
danger of misfires, too, is eliminated
by wait of 80 or 40 minutes after
the fuse Is lighted. when practically
all of the oxygen will have eyaporat-
ed. Another advantage Is the elimin-
alton of the danger of unexploded !
sticks in shoveling and subsequent |
handling of coal or ore going out of
the mine. Other sources of danger |
avoided are the handling and thaw-
ing processes such as are necessary |
with frozen dynamite, and the hazard
from lightning or fire when stored.
But there are certain disadvantages
in the use of this explosive, the 'bu-
reau says. Because Of its rapid eva
poration liquid oxygen must be used
quickly and within definite time af-
ter the hole is charged, thus limiting
the number of holes that can be fired
simultaneously, although in Germany
as many as 2S have been fred at
once. Its use virtually requires the
installation of az liauidating plant at
considerable first cost and this plant
must be kept running regularly to OBJ
tain low cost explosive, as the main
cost Is in the power used.
That the power of liquid oxygen as
an explosive is favorably comparable
with other explosives is shown in the
fact that 100000 pounds of liquod
oxygen are equal to 100000 pounds
of dynamite.
. One of the interesting features OF
the high development of this explo-
slve in Germany has been the de-
of small portable liquid oxyg-
en- making plants to produce three
liters an hour. Such plants have been
to move about on trucks,
making the material much more
available for small operators.