Title: Evaluation of blast fragmentation and its benefits: a review of the paradigm and ambiguity

Authors: Shaib Abdulazeez Shehu; Mohd Hazizan Mohd Hashim

Addresses: Strategic Mineral Niche, School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia; Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Engineering, School of Engineering, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Nigeria ' Strategic Mineral Niche, School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia

Abstract: Wrong blasting can lead to various degrees of inefficiencies in the subsequent mining processes. It is therefore necessary to constantly evaluate blast results and optimise the process. Good blasting provides cheaper benefits when compared to crushing and grinding. Good blast may be expensive but its technical and economic benefits override such an intensive cost. Blast benefits are based on the size distribution of muckpile and the degree of induced microcracks. The size distribution can be visually accessed qualitatively as either good or poor, and quantitatively by screening or different image analysis techniques. However, screening is the only direct and most accurate method of evaluating fragmentation but not suitable for large projects. Though the microcracks can be seen with a specialised microscope but can only be assessed systematically through the study of production output and energy consumption. This paper reviews the benefits, paradigm and the ambiguity of evaluating blast fragmentation.

Keywords: comminution; blast geometry; screening; muckpile; blast fragmentation; microcracks; blasting.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMME.2020.111939

International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering, 2020 Vol.11 No.4, pp.338 - 358

Accepted: 29 Aug 2020
Published online: 21 Dec 2020 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article