APPLYING MASSIVE BLASTING DURING ORE EXPLOITATION IN UNDERGROUND MINES

Madencilik, 2021, 60(1), 63-70 Mining, 2021, 60(1), 63-70 Orijinal Araştırma / Original Research APPLYING MASSIVE BLASTING DURING ORE EXPLOITATION IN UNDERGROUND MINES YERALTI MADENLERİNDE MADEN ÜRETİMİ SIRASINDA BÜYÜK PATLATMA UYGULAMASI Rafet Zeqiria,* a Faculty of Geosciences, University of Mitrovica, 40000, Mitrovica, KOSOVO Geliş Tarihi / Received : 23 Eylül / September 2020 Kabul Tarihi / Accepted : 10 Aralık / December 2020 Keywords: Mine, Machinery, Explosive, Specific consumption. ABSTRACT Underground exploitation of lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) metal ore is one of the issues that requires safety during the exploitation and professional solutions for economic issues, moreover, the complicated exploitation of ore in great underground depths is imposed by the various geological mass layers that limit the production volume. In the ore exploitation process, drilling and blasting technology is applied for rock cutting, especially in the sublevel exploitation method and in particular the difficulty of applying drilling and blasting is in vein shaped sources. The mineral blasting process is done initially by performing the drilling, charging up the drill holes with explosives by aiming to blast the mineral while preventing the ore blocking as a consequence of sufficient charging of the holes with explosives. In this paper we analyze the number of drills, drilling depth, length of charging drilled holes with explosives, specific consumption of explosives. ÖZ Anahtar Sözcükler: Madencilik, Makine, Üretim, Özgül tüketim. Kurşun (Pb) ve Çinko (Zn) metal cevherinin yeraltında üretimi, kazı sırasında güvenlik ve ekonomik sorunlara profesyonel çözümler gerektiren konulardan biridir, ayrıca cevherin büyük yer altı derinliklerinde karmaşık bir şekilde üretilmesi çeşitli jeolojik kütleler ve katmanlar tarafından sınırlandırılır. Cevher üretim sürecinde, özellikle yer altı işletme yönteminde kaya kazısı için delme ve patlatma teknolojisi uygulanmaktadır ve özellikle delme ve patlatma, uygulama zorluğu damar şeklinden kaynaklanır. Maden üretimine, patlatma işlemi, öncelikle delme işlemi yapılarak, patlatma deliklerinin patlayıcılarla şarj edilmesi amaçlanarak yapılırken, deliklerin yeterli miktarda patlayıcı ile doldurulması sonucunda cevherin tıkanması engellenir. Bu çalışma, matkap sayısını, matkabın uzunluğunu, patlayıcı ile doldurma uzunluğunu, patlayıcının spesifik tüketimini analiz etmektedir. * Sorumlu yazar / Corresponding author : • https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-9071-3105 63 R.Zeqiri, et al./ Scientific Mining Journal, 2021, 60(1), 63–70 INTRODUCTION Mass mining in underground mines is conducted with difficulties due to the geological circumstances of the source and the rock mass. The exploitation and extraction of the lead and zinc ore with the subfloors’ method is accomplished with deep drillings depending on the ore block size that will be exploited. The blast drilling is utilized with the aim of knocking down and fragmentizing the ore, and each hole is drilled in a certain angle, whereas, they are ordered in the shape of hand fans in accordance with the rules of mining techniques. The order of the drillings according to their angle and length is characterized by the added amount of explosives (20% - 50%) for one ton of ore with uneven granulation of the knocked down ore compared to the parallel mining scheme (Rafet, 2020-a; Jahit et al., 2016) Upon the creation of cracks with fan drilling the gas pressure is rapidly reduced which weakens the effects of ore crumbling. With the equal presence of the explosive energy various figures for charging explosive drill holes are applied in practice, namely some explosive drills are with a varying charging coefficient. It is a rule that fan drills are filled in a zig-zag pattern, namely one drill is filled the next one remains with a small amount of explosive and so on and in each drill there will be various differences between them. This difference of charging the holes is applied in order to create the possibility of blasting the mineral while preventing the ore blocking as a consequence of sufficient charging of the holes (Rafet et al., 2016) 1. THE MECHANISM OF EXPLOITING FAN DRILLING The mechanic drilling method for mining implies the use of drilling rigs to achieve the complete mechanization of works (drilling, positioning of drilling hammer, controlling of drilling angles and dismantling of drilling equipment). In addition, the drilling rig is distinguished in the mechanical 64 method of movement (from one chamber to the other) by using its own engine be it electric or diesel. During drilling the worker operating the rig is protected by the cabin roof and he is positioned at the appropriate height from the mining face in the chamber. The drilling is done with drilling hammers positioned in the lafette, and the lafette is connected on the rig’s drilling arm. It has to be emphasized that mines have their differing exploitation specifics, therefore not all mines can apply the existing types of the mechanized units for exploitation drilling, and therefore the basic requirement for the payoff of investments for any mechanization arises (Rafet, 2020-b; Jahit et al., 2016) During the selection of mechanized units for exploitation drilling, namely drilling during the exploitation of ore sources, one can distinguish the impacting factors such as: drilling research capacity, transverse cutting dimensions of objects through which the unit will move, turn radius, schedule (alignment) of drilling and their direction, drilling radius for mines, length of drilling, qualification and preparation of employees. As it is shown above, with the application of drilling rigs we achieve the complete mechanization of the drilling work for mining. The movement of drilling rigs is completely mechanized and is done through their own engines (electrical or diesel). In addition there is the option of remotely manipulating the operations during the drilling ((Izet et al., 2013; Shyqri et al., 2012). Upon using the drilling rigs the directions can be horizontal, diagonal, and vertical in parallel of fan alignment. The rigs are adapted to the exploitation methods with relatively underground capacities with tight spaces, therefore with the use of drilling units, namely the Simba Junior and Simba Special units it is possible to drill horizontally, diagonally and vertically with a fan alignment. The drilling operations and positioning of drilling equipment in these units are mechanized thus enabling various alignments of drilling for explosives as well as the specification of drilling rig types from the SimbaAtlas series (Figure 1). slighte slighte R.Zeqiri, vd. / Bilimsel Madencilik Dergisi, 2021, 60(1), 63–70 Figure Figure 2. 2. The The position position of of the the gallery gallery and and the the ore ore block block to to be be mined mined presented presented in in 3D 3D The block to be drilled and mined in the sublevel exploitation (...truncated)