SBIR Phase I: Innovative Blasting to Eliminate Nitrogen Dioxide Formation While Maximizing Energy Efficiency in Surface Coal Mining

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is a chemical solution to stop the formation of Nitrogen Dioxide in the surface coal mining industry where cast blasting is used. The creation of Nitrogen Dioxide is the result of deflagration or burning of the Ammonium Nitrate in the Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) blasting agent. This chemical pollution avoidance technology prevents deflagration by utilizing a technique known as shaped charge detonation. The shaped charge produces a jet of supersonic heat and pressure that initiates the reaction between the Ammonium Nitrate and the fuel oil to achieve near-instantaneous hydrodynamic velocity. The economic advantages of employing the new CastMax detonation system are two fold: the primary purpose is to eliminate NOx emissions and the attendant regulatory costs (monitoring, reporting, etc.) that would be applied; the secondary purpose is to maximize the energy efficiency of the blast. Ceasing the NOx formation will result in the recovery of $25,000,000 of lost blasting efficiency in US surface coal mining for 2001. Not only will energy costs be recovered, but also the use of this technology will forestall the costs associated with litigation, legislation and regulation about how to solve the Nitrogen Dioxide problem.