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Science and Technology of Energetic Materials

Vol.69, No.2 (2008)

Research paper

Fertilization of rock areas by blasting with ANFO explosive containing KNO3
and (NH4)2HPO4
Katsumi Katoh, Kaname Shirotani, Shiro Kubota, Yuji Wada, Yuji Ogata,
Shuzo Fujiwara, and Mitsuru Arai
p.59-63

Abstract

Blasting by ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) is considered to convert rock deserts into rich soil areas because it can break up the rocks and diffuse nitrogenous nutritional ions (NH4+, NO3-) into the rock fragments. However, various nutritional ions, other than the nitrogenous ones, are required in terms of the fertilization of rock areas. The purpose of this study was to establish a blasting method by using ANFO with fertilizers, KNO3 and / or (NH4)2HPO4, for diffusing nutritional ions into rock fragments. In this study, the hazard evaluation of the ANFO with KNO3 and / or (NH4)2HPO4 was conducted with the help of sealed cell differential scanning calorimetry (SC-DSC). Further, the diffusion amount of the nutritional ions and the blasting effect of the ANFO with KNO3 and (NH4)2HPO4 were investigated with the help of field experiments. The results of the SC-DSC revealed nearly identical decomposition temperatures and decomposition heats for the ANFO alone and the ANFO with KNO3 and / or (NH4)2HPO4. Thus, it is considered that the ANFO with KNO3 and / or (NH4)2HPO4 could be treated as similar to the ANFO alone. The results of the field experiments also revealed the presence of NH4+, K+ and NO3- in the rock fragments blasted by the ANFO with KNO3 and (NH4)2HPO4. The content of the nutritional ions in the rock fragments blasted by the ANFO with KNO3 and (NH4)2HPO4 was more than that ions in the rock fragments blasted by the ANFO alone, and it was approximately equal to that found in natural soil. These results may indicate that blasting by the ANFO with KNO3 and (NH4)2HPO4 can control the amount of nitrogenous ions diffused into a rock area.

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Keywords

Greening, Desert, ANFO, Fertilization, Blasting method.

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