Rock Fragmentation

Oleh:
Dr. Singgih Saptono

Fragmentation
A blasted rock muckpile and the fragment sizes within it are
very important for the mining industry since they affect
the downstream processes from hauling to grinding.
The size distribution of the blasted muckpile can be
predicted by a variety of semi empirical models which are
based on blast design parameters, such as burden, spacing,
drillhole diameter, bench height and explosives
consumption.
It has been the experience of many researchers that these
models are quite successful in predicting the mean
fragment size; however they lack accuracy in predicting the
80% passing size used in comminution calculations.

A simple diagrammatic
presentation of
Drill to Mill fragmentation
flow sheet

Mechanism of breakage by flexion

Potential problems related to stiffness ratio

The ratio of bench height (H) to effective firing burden (Be) represents
the stiffness ratio in a surface mine bench blast.

Fragmentation

Good fragmentation with good

uniformity inside the muckpile

Poor fragmentation with boulders inside

the muckpile

Uncontrollable factors
Uncontrollable parameters concerning blast
design are
The rock mass properties and
The geological structure

 These factors also influence the blast design

parameters and the fragmentation produced; thus
their effects to blasting need to be quantified
(Tandanand, 1973; Hustrulid, 1999) .
Rock factor

A = 0.06*(RMD + JF + RDI + HF)

where RMD is the mass description, JF is the joint
factor, RDI is the rock density influence and HF is the
hardness factor. Details on the model can be found
in Cunninghams publication (Cunningham, 1987).

Controllable factors
A- Geometric: Diameter, charge length, burden,
spacing etc.
B- Physicochemical or pertaining to explosives:
Types of explosives, strength, energy, priming
systems, etc.
C- Time: Delay timing and initiation sequence.

 Geometric parameters are actually influenced by

uncontrollable and controllable factors,
(i) Diameter (d) and Depth of Drillhole (di).
(ii) Inclination (di) and Subdrilling Depth (SUB) of Drillhole.
(iii) Height (ls) and Material of Stemming.
(iv) Bench Height (Hb).
(v) Spacing to Burden Ratio (mb).
(vi) Blast Size, Direction and Configuration.
(vii) Initiating Sequence and System.
(viii) Buffers and Free Faces.
(ix) Explosive Type, Energy and Loading Method.
(x) Powder Factor q =Q/Vo where Q is the total quantity of explosive
per borehole and V is the total volume of rock blasted.

Fragmentation Models
Particle sizing
Gates-Gaudin-Schumann function

Where y is the fraction of the muckpile with particle size smaller than x, n
is a distribution parameter and ks is the maximum particle size.

Rosin-Rammler equation
where b is a constant.

The Rosin-Rammler equation has been used by

Cunningham for blasting analysis

where R is the fraction of material retained on a screen, x is the screen

size, xc is a constant, called the characteristic size, and n is the uniformity
index.
The uniformity index, typically, has values from 0.6 to 2.2. The value of n
determines the shape of a curve. A value of 0.6 means that the muckpile is
non uniform (dust and boulders) while a value of 2.2 means a uniform
muckpile with the majority of fragments close to the mean size (Clark,
1987).

These equations are often used in combination with

Kuznetsovs equation,
which is expressed in terms of the quantity of explosive per
blasthole, Q e and the relative to ANFO weight strength of
explosives, EANFO and the powder factor, q = Q/Vo.

The following parameters are related

to muckpile uniformity.
(i)

Distribution of explosive in the blast

(burden, spacing to burden ratio, borehole
diameter, collar, subgrade, bench height)
(ii) Firing accuracy of detonators used
(iii) Timing of detonators used
(iv) In situ fragmentation due to geological
discontinuities

Cunningham expressed the uniformity index n by

where B is the burden in m, d is the hole diameter in mm, Dt is the

standard deviation of drilling accuracy in m, mb is the spacing to burden
ratio, lcb is the charge length above grade level in (m) and Hb is the bench
height in (m).

where BL is the bottom charge length above grade (m), CL is

the column charge length (m), and lcb is the total charge
length above grade. (Cunningham, 1987)

Where C(n ) is a correction factor used to calibrate the model if data

are available and ns is a factor incorporating scatter of the delay times
used in the blast. The factor ns can be expressed as follows:

With st being the standard deviation of the

initiation system and Tx the desired delay
time between holes.

Kuz-Ram model