In a bid to ensure consistent and optimum blasting results, AEL Mining Services - an international leader and innovator in commercial explosives and blasting solutions - has embarked on a process of continuous quality improvement of industrial products. One of these processes includes Bulk Store Curing, which AEL applied to the manufacturing process of Ammonium Nitrate (AN), which comprises step-change interventions.
(Left: ANFO loading in Indonesi
Trevor Roberts, AEL southern Africa's business manager, Industrial Nitrates explains: "Curing entails allowing for sufficient time to cool products under controlled conditions (cool and dry) to improve structural integrity, oil absorption consistency and moisture consistency. "AN prills have an appearance of round spheres, however, what a naked eye does not see, is that these granules have pores. For explosives to work, one needs fuel to effectively connect into the oxidiser (AN) and this is made possible by the pores," says Roberts, adding that AEL continues to improve on the quality of its products by maintaining structural integrity of its prills, even when subject to the rigours of transport and storage, which could negatively affect the structure of the prill. This is referred to as friability.
"Should the product break down, the porous nature of the prill changes, resulting in increased density of the oxidiser, which reduces oil absorption and ultimately reduces the effectiveness of the explosive," Roberts says.
"AEL's high quality AN prills, which are a result of improvements based on curing and superior friability quality, come with numerous benefits to the customers. These include reduced caking, improved flow ability, high-level of oil absorption and reduced dust during handling. Quality is key when producing AN, and customers stand to save huge costs when the product is of good quality."
In line with AEL's strategic values to increase safety in blasting operations, as well as maintain quality standards, AEL ensures that its products are of world-class standard, safe to use and beneficial to customers, both in local and international markets. "Quality ANs have a direct impact on good blast advances, as well as ensure optimal fragmentation, consistent performance, acceptable fume characteristics and good post blast conditions," Roberts says.
"We take lives seriously and our customers rely on us as service providers to be aligned with their safety requirements. When we develop our products, we take numerous aspects into consideration, which include customer satisfaction, safety and costs and we test each of the 13 quality parameters during and after porous prill ammonium nitrate manufacturing. Good blast characteristics are only possible if there is consistent density, prill size uniformity, friability, fuel absorption and moisture control. Quality is king when it comes to safe and cost-efficient blasting results," he adds.
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