Drilling and blasting has been used since ancient times for mining and construction projects. Workers originally used hammering and chiseling which was very labor intensive. The discovery of explosive black powder in ancient India and China helped alleviate this drudgery. Black powder was initially used for signaling but later adopted for military use. It was first applied to mining in the 15th century. Liquid nitroglycerin was discovered in 1846 but was very hazardous. Alfred Nobel stabilized it by absorbing it into an absorbent material to create the safer dynamite explosive in 1876, revolutionizing the industry.
2. HISTORY OF DRILLING AND BLASTING
Ancient world – Mining, Quarrying and Building
projects were carried out by forced labor (war
captives in Ancient Egypt). Be it 1500 mtr long
tunnel in Agean Island, carving of temples, etc.
The attacking technique on stones was
hammering and chiseling which was a drudgery.
3. A man day effort will produce at best, a
tenth of a cubic meter and only a few man
can find room at the working face of the
tunnel.
Due to desperate situation in mining,
armies of men spent their working life on
hands and knees or lying on their sides,
frequently in cold water.
4. EXPLOSIVE to alleviate drudgery
(कठिन परिश्रम)
Explosive known since ancient times – Black
Powder (Potassium Nitrate or salpeter, sulfur, and
charcoal).
Its discovery descends to early India and China.
But, Chinese scientists found the documents that
made China to be considered as origin country
(think..Why not India..?
As, it is called ठिष्फोटक: in Sanskrit)
6. Chinese used this mixture packed in bamboo
tube, firstly for signaling and display. Later,
against troops and fortification. After many
centuries, its uses started in military sectors
too.
Over period of time, explosive reached Arabs
and Greeks followed by Europe.
7. EXPLOSIVE IN MINING
Black Powder was first used for mining by the
Hungarian soldiers, who had used it to breach
fortifications. It took a century to develop
techniques for explosive assisted mining. This delay
was due to limited supply of Potassium nitrate
(only present in India and Andalusia (Spain)), not
adequate to support European wars.
Eventually, light colored crusts of “Nitre” was
found on walls of farmyard cellars and Stables. So,
Europeans were provided with these local source
of nitrate after recovering and refining them. Also,
Farmers helped in creating ‘Nitre beds’ in which
animal wastes were held untill Nitrate is formed.
8. Farmyard Cellar – store room near farmland below ground
(खेत क
े समीप में स्थित तल्कक्ष/तहखाना)
Stables – Places for keeping horses
(घोड़े क
े िहने का थिान)
9. In 1846, liquid NitroGlycerine (NG) was discovered
by Ascanio Sobrero. He found it as highly explosive
and sensitive. But, its practical uses were limited
due to its hazardous property.
Use of NG was pioneered by Emmanuel Nobel and
his son Alfred Nobel in 1859.
Ascanio Sobrero (NG)
Emmanuel Nobel Alphred Nobel
10. In 1863, Alfred invented Blasting Cap (early form
of detonator) which revolutionized the explosive
technology.
In 1876, he found that ‘Kieselghur’ (soft material
found in rock cavities) absorbs upto 3 times of its
own weight of NG to form dry and leak resistant
paste named as ‘Dynamite’. Dynamite was more
safer, convenient and economic than NG.
In 1831, ‘Burning Fuse’ was invented by william
Bickford by incorporating Black Powder in a jute
yarn.
In 1908, detonating cord was invented in France
with TNT core in a textile structure.]
11. Gun Powder = Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) [75%] +
Charcoal [15%] + Sulphur [10%]
Unknown
• GUN POWDER
• Limited supply of nitrates
1846
1859
• Nitro Glycerine (NG) [Limited uses being hazardous]
• Use of NG pioneered by Nobel father-son duo
1863
1876
• Blasting Cap (Early form of detonator) invented
• Kieselghur found combined with Liquid NG to form
Dynamite
