Commercial High Explosives

Abstract

Non-military explosives are used mainly for mining and tunnel construction, for building demolition and for various special uses such as setting off avalanches and for seismic investigations. Common to all explosives is their heterogeneous structure, the great work capacity (blast effect) and the advantage that the detonation releases only small amounts of poisonous explosion gases. Modern explosives for tunnel construction can be pumped and are capable of exploding only on site, by the addition or chemical generation of microbubbles. With the introduction of electronic detonators, explosive technology entered a new era. These detonators are very safe and precise, and it is possible to program up to 1600 detonators in one blasting operation.