Abstract: Methods of charging boreholes for commercial blasting including charging a borehole with an explosive composition. This involves dispensing the explosive composition from an outlet structure in the borehole. While charging the borehole, the fill rate of the explosive composition into the borehole is selectively varied to provide at least one physical pattern in the explosive composition that includes two or more cavities. Selectively varying the fill rate selectively controls sizes and locations of the two or more cavities.

Abstract: A process for electrochemically reducing a metal oxide, such as titania, in a solid state in an electrochemical cell that includes a bath of molten electrolyte, a cathode, and an anode, which process includes the steps of: a) applying a cell potential across the anode and the cathode that is capable of electrochemically reducing the metal oxide supplied to the molten electrolyte bath, b) continuously or semi-continuously feeding the metal oxide in powder and/or pellet form into the molten electrolyte bath, c) transporting the powders and/or pellets along a path within the molten electrolyte bath and reducing the metal oxide as the metal oxide powders and/or pellets move along the path, and d) continuously or semi-continuously removing metal from the molten electrolyte bath. Also disclosed and claims is an electrochemical cell for carrying out this process.

Abstract: A process for electrochemically reducing a metal oxide, such as titania, in a solid state in an electrochemical cell that includes a bath of molten electrolyte, a cathode, and an anode, which process includes the steps of: a) applying a cell potential across the anode and the cathode that is capable of electrochemically reducing the metal oxide supplied to the molten electrolyte bath, b) continuously or semi-continuously feeding the metal oxide in powder and/or pellet form into the molten electrolyte bath, c) transporting the powders and/or pellets along a path within the molten electrolyte bath and reducing the metal oxide as the metal oxide powders and/or pellets move along the path, and d) continuously or semi-continuously removing metal from the molten electrolyte bath. Also disclosed and claims is an electrochemical cell for carrying out this process.