DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY® in Iron Ore Mining
Document type: Case Study

CASE STUDY

DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY™ Technology Applied in Iron
Ore Mining
 PROJECT SUMMARY
BENEFITS OF DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY
The use of Dyno Nobel’s new DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY
Bulk Delivery Systems provides large iron ore mining
companies with a unique and innovative bulk emulsion
loading approach, that will allow drilling pattern expansion
while reducing or maintaining powder factors and
explosives costs.

BACKGROUND
 TITAN® Bulk Emulsion
 1.10 gr/cc density 0.95 gr/cc density
HEAVY ANFO ALUMINIZED TOE LOAD AND
PATTERN EXPANSION
For many years, Dyno Nobel has supplied large iron hole and customize the bulk emulsion explosive to
ore mines using the unique Site Mixed Slurry (SMS) the desired energy requirements within that hole. This
technology developed in the 1950s. This made-on-the- approach provides a more effective distribution of the
bench emulsion manufacturing and sensitizing process available explosives energy relative to the geologic and
offered the opportunity and the flexibility to vary the burden conditions.
charge weight from hole to hole, based on geology and
burden conditions.

In order to increase the detonation pressure and reaction
time, explosives suppliers doped their heavy ANFO
blends with various amounts of fine grade aluminum (1 to
5%). This was expensive to break heavy burden or very
 TECHNOLOGY APPLIED
hard rock zones successfully. Today, the supply of this raw
ingredient has become difficult to source and expensive,
 DYNO NOBEL’S UNIQUE DIFFERENTIAL
to the point where manufacturers have investigated ENERGY TECHNOLOGY GENERATES TRULY
alternative approaches to break areas that require more INNOVATIVE RESULTS
energy. The use of the new Dyno Nobel jumbo bulk emulsion
 delivery trucks load blast holes very rapidly and
 productively by pumping at the industry’s highest rate: up
 to 900 kg/min in large boreholes diameter.
 PROJECT GOALS
 The pure TITAN bulk explosives emulsion can be
WITH HIGHER DENSITY BULK EMULSION FOR SEVERE thickened to a high viscosity which will prevent product
GEOLOGY AND BURDEN CONDITIONS. PROVIDE migration into cracks (often times the source of NOx fume
PATTERN EXPANSION WITH CONSTANT POWDER generation) and is an excellent technique for loading in
FACTOR THE TRAINED BULK EMULSION DELIVERY extreme hydro-dynamic water conditions. With superior
The trained bulk emulsion delivery truck operator can product shelf life, it is truly a practical innovation.
program up to four different loading charges in the blast

CASE STUDY

 VALUE ADDED
 1. Maintain powder factors and reduce total drill & blast
 costs while optimizing energy distribution within the
 borehole.
 2. Increase bulk explosives density at the bottom of the
 borehole only (kg/m)
 3. From 7.6% to 9.2% more kg/m at the floor level
 where it’s needed
 4. Economy of explosives weight in the upper part of
 the explosives columns. Major potential drill pattern
 expansion (lowering drilling costs) by using heavier
 density in the bottom / toe of the boreholes only
 while maintaining constant average powder factors
 5. Same truck, same product: all with differentially
 loaded, chemically sensitized bulk emulsion.

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its affiliates as to the applicability of any procedures to any particular situation or circumstance or as to the completeness or accuracy of any
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document or the information contained herein. User assumes sole responsibility for all results and consequences. © 2020 Dyno Nobel