Abstract: A process for producing ammonium nitrate is disclosed, which process comprises exposing a gaseous oxidizer feed composed at least substantially of ammonia, steam and an oxidizing gas to conditions whereby the ammonia is oxidized to produce a reaction mixture including nitrogen monoxide and water vapor. The reaction mixture is cooled in a heat exchanger whereby the nitrogen monoxide is oxidized, the water vapor is condensed and the products of the nitrogen monoxide oxidation react with and are absorbed by the condensed water to form a nitric acid stream, with substantially all of the nitrogen monoxide in the reaction mixture being converted to nitric acid. The nitric acid stream is reacted with a stream of ammonia to form the ammonium nitrate.

Abstract: A process for producing an intermediate emulsion comprising an oxidizer solution, fuel and emulsifier, which process comprises the steps of: (a) mixing in a micromixer an oxidizer solution with a fuel blend comprising a fuel and an emulsifier so as to solubilize a portion of the oxidizer solution in the fuel blend to produce a precursor product; (b) mixing the precursor product obtained in step (a) using a micromixer in one or more successive stages in order to form the intermediate emulsion.

Abstract: A method of blasting rock, in mining for recoverable material, comprising drilling blastholes in a blast zone, loading the blastholes with explosives and then firing the explosives in the blastholes in a single cycle of drilling, loading and blasting. The blast zone comprises a high energy blast zone in which blastholes are partially loaded with a first explosive to provide a high energy layer of the high energy blast zone having a powder factor of at least 1.75 kg of explosive per cubic meter of unblasted rock in the high energy layer and in which at least some of those blastholes are also loaded with a second explosive to provide a low energy layer of the high energy blast zone between the high energy layer and the adjacent end of those blastholes, said low energy layer having a powder factor that is at least a factor of two lower than the powder factor of said high energy layer.

Abstract: A mobile manufacturing and delivery platform that is adapted to provide in a blasthole an explosive composition comprising a liquid energetic material and sensitizing voids, the sensitizing voids being present in the liquid energetic material with a non-random distribution. The platform comprises a storage tank for the liquid energetic material; at least two delivery lines for conveying respective streams of the liquid energetic material from the storage tank; a void delivery system for producing sensitizing voids in at least one of the streams of liquid energetic material; a mixer for mixing the streams of liquid energetic material to produce the explosive composition; and a blasthole loading hose. The mixer may be provided at the end of the loading hose. A blasting method employs the platform to manufacture and deliver the explosive composition into a blasthole, which composition is subsequently detonated.

Abstract: A process for producing nitric acid is disclosed in which a gaseous oxidizer feed composed at least substantially of ammonia, steam and an oxidizing gas is exposed to conditions whereby the ammonia is oxidized to produce a reaction mixture including nitrogen monoxide and water vapor. The reaction mixture is then cooled in a heat exchanger whereby: a) the nitrogen monoxide is oxidized and the water vapor is caused to condense, b) the products of the nitrogen monoxide oxidation react with and are absorbed by the condensed water, and c) substantially all of the nitrogen monoxide in the reaction mixture is converted to nitric acid. Also disclosed is a nitric acid solution when produced by the disclosed process.

Abstract: A process for locating underground markers, including: transmitting signals through the ground between markers in the ground; and determining locations of the markers based on the transmitted signals.

Abstract: A process for producing ammonium nitrate is disclosed, which process comprises exposing a gaseous oxidiser feed composed at least substantially of ammonia, steam and an oxidising gas to conditions whereby the ammonia is oxidised to produce a reaction mixture including nitrogen monoxide and water vapour. The reaction mixture is cooled in a heat exchanger whereby the nitrogen monoxide is oxidised, the water vapour is condensed and the products of the nitrogen monoxide oxidation react with and are absorbed by the condensed water to form a nitric acid stream, with substantially all of the nitrogen monoxide in the reaction mixture being converted to nitric acid. The nitric acid stream is reacted with a stream of ammonia to form the ammonium nitrate.

Abstract: A process for vibration analysis, including the steps of: receiving synchronized motion measurements of particle motion in two or three orthogonal dimensions over a selected period of time at a plurality of different measurement locations; and determining one or more strain waveforms in the orthogonal dimensions in regions spanning the plurality of measurement locations using the motion measurements.

Abstract: A method of blasting rock, in mining for recoverable material, comprising drilling blastholes in a blast zone loading the blastholes with explosives and then firing the explosives in the blastholes in a single cycle of drilling, loading and blasting. The blast zone comprises a high energy blast zone in which blastholes are partially loaded with a first explosive to provide a high energy layer of the high energy blast zone having a powder factor of at least 1.75 kg of explosive per cubic meter of unblasted rock in the high energy layer and in which at least some of those blastholes are also loaded with a second explosive to provide a low energy layer of the high energy blast zone between the high energy layer and the adjacent end of those blastholes, said low energy layer having a powder factor that is at least a factor of two lower than the powder factor of said high energy layer.

Abstract: A method of generating electricity which comprises forming a galvanic cell comprising two electrodes in contact with an ionic conductor, wherein the ionic conductor comprises an explosive composition or is derived from an explosive composition.

Abstract: Wireless detonator systems present opportunities for controlled blasting of rock without the encumbrances of physical wired connections at the blast site. Disclosed herein are wireless detonator assemblies, which sense the state of environmental condition(s) of their immediate vicinity, and which are active to receive and/or process a command signal to FIRE only if the environmental condition(s) are deemed suitable or appropriate according to predetermined parameters. Also disclosed are improved methods of blasting involving such wireless detonator assemblies, as well as corresponding wireless electronic primers.

Abstract: A process for producing ammonium nitrate is disclosed and in which: a) a gaseous oxidizer feed composed at least substantially of ammonia, steam and an oxidizing gas is exposed to conditions whereby the ammonia is oxidized to produce a reaction mixture including nitrogen monoxide and water vapor, b) the reaction mixture is cooled in a heat exchanger whereby the nitrogen monoxide is oxidized, the water vapor is condensed and the products of the nitrogen monoxide oxidation react with and are absorbed by the condensed water to form a nitric acid stream, with substantially all of the nitrogen monoxide in the reaction mixture being converted to nitric acid, and c) the nitric acid stream is reacted with a stream of ammonia in an ammonium nitrate producing stage to form the ammonium nitrate.

Abstract: A process for producing an intermediate emulsion comprising an oxidizer solution, fuel and emulsifier, which process comprises the steps of: (a) mixing in a micromixer an oxidizer solution with a fuel blend comprising a fuel and an emulsifier so as to solubilise a portion of the oxidizer solution in the fuel blend to produce a precursor product; (b) mixing the precursor product obtained in step (a) using a micromixer in one or more successive stages in order to form the intermediate emulsion.

Abstract: A method of blasting rock, in mining for recoverable material, comprising drilling blastholes in a blast zone loading the blastholes with explosives and then firing the explosives in the blastholes in a single cycle of drilling, loading and blasting. The blast zone comprises a high energy blast zone in which blastholes are partially loaded with a first explosive to provide a high energy layer of the high energy blast zone having a powder factor of at least 1.75 kg of explosive per cubic metre of unblasted rock in the high energy layer and in which at least some of those blastholes are also loaded with a second explosive to provide a low energy layer of the high energy blast zone between the high energy layer and the adjacent end of those blastholes, said low energy layer having a powder factor that is at least a factor of two lower than the powder factor of said high energy layer.

Abstract: An initiation device for initiation of an explosives charge, which comprises: a transceiver for receipt of wireless command signals; a control circuit for processing of wireless command signals received by the transceiver; and a light source that is suitable for initiation of the explosives charge and that is activated by the control circuit.