Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Expanding Agents in Stone Mining

There are various methods for breaking stones in stone mining, including using excavators, hydraulic hammers, and expanding agents. Each method has its specific applications and pros and cons.

Methods of Breaking Stones

1. Excavators and Hydraulic Hammers

• Advantages: Suitable for stones with low hardness, fast mining effect.

• Disadvantages: High cost, low efficiency for stones with high hardness.

2. Expanding Agents

• Advantages:

  • Safety: Silent cracking, no vibration, noise, flying stones, dust, or harmful gases.

  • Controllable: Design drilling holes according to needs to achieve the desired cutting or crushing effect.

  • Efficient: Less damage, the yield can be increased by 2-3 times.

  • Economical: The cost of use is much lower than other crushing tools.

  • Simple: Just mix the expanding agent with water and pour it into the drilled holes.

  • Safe and convenient to transport.

• Disadvantages:

  • Slow speed: The mining cycle is long, taking 8-12 hours.

  • Effect: The amount of stone mined may not meet expectations.

Usage of Expanding Agents

1. Drilling:

   • Diameter: 32-50 mm.

   • Spacing: 10-40 cm.

   • Depth: 85-105% of the height H.

   • Row spacing: 0.2-3 meters.

2. Mixing Ratio and Dosage:

   • Dosage: About 1.8 grams/cubic centimeter.

   • Water mixing ratio: About 25-30% of the weight of the expanding agent.

Conclusion

Although the expanding agent mining method is relatively slow, it has the advantages of being safe, environmentally friendly, and low cost, making it suitable for specific conditions of stone mining. When choosing a mining method, it is necessary to consider the hardness of the stone, cost budget, and time requirements comprehensively.