Abstract:
Static cracking agent (SCA) is actively investigated as an alternative to explosive blasting for rock break age due to its immense expansion property. SCA can eliminate the negative effects of shock, noise and
harmful gases encountered in explosive blasting processes. Accurate measurement and deep understand ing of the expansive properties of SCAs are important in their industrial application. An improved outer
pipe method (OPM), termed the upper end surface method (UESM), is proposed in this paper to overcome
the shortcomings of the OPM in the expansive pressure measurement of SCAs. Numerical simulation is
used to proof the concept and a mathematical model established to relate the internal pressure and
the radial strains at different positions in the upper end surface method test equipment. The new equip ment is calibrated using oil pressure and strain measurements. The calibrated equipment is then used to
measure the expansion pressure of SCA at three different water contents to proof its potential. The dif ferences in the measurements with OPM and UESM at three different moisture contents are less than
4%. The experimental results confirm the accuracy and applicability of the more user friendly and less
expensive UESM in the measurement of the expansive pressures of SCAs.