Kovdor Ore Dressing and Processing Enterprise, Kovdor, Russia:

Togunov M. B., Chief Specialist on Drilling and Blasting Operations of the Technical Control Division, e-mail: Mickail.Togunov@eurochem.ru

Shitov Yu. A., Deputy Chief Engineer of the «Zheleznyy» Mine on Drilling and Blasting Operations, e-mail: Yury.Shitov@eurochem.ru

Danilkin A. A., Acting Deputy Head of the Excavation Area of the «Zheleznyy» Mine, e-mail: Aleksander.Danilkin@eurochem.ru

«Eastern Mining Services» Company, Kovdor, Russia:

Melik-Gaykazov G. V., Chief Management Officer, e-mail: EMS@kovdor.mels.ru

Mining University of Kola Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Apatity, Russia:

Fokin V. A., Leading Researcher, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, e-mail: fva666@goi.kolasc.net.ru

Nowadays, in the connection with the deficiency of the internal phosphate raw materials and increasing of its price on the global market, according to the task of the Mineral and Chemical Company “EuroChem”, there is developed the project of the power increasing of the extraction and concentration of apatite and magnetite ores from 16 to 18.7–19 mln. t/year. In connection with this, there are being held the researches and development works on intensification of the blast-hole breaking of ore and overburden rocks. The object of these operations is the decreasing of energy intensity and yield increasing of the following redivisions: breaking and conveyance in the complexes of the cyclical and continuous technology; secondary and fine breaking and crushing of ore on the processing complex.
The blast rupture of rocks is the least power input, in the comparison with the mechanical breaking and crushing. Due to this, there raised a task of choosing the most efficient and economically sound technology of the blast-hole breaking of rock mass. This task can make it possible to increase the fine grading directly in the exploded blocks, and to decrease the middle lump size and, thereby, to increase the productivity of the operating breaking and crushing equipment

1. Togunov M. B., Shitov Yu. A., Melik-Gaykazov G. V. et al. Gornyi Zhurnal — Mining Journal, 2007, No. 9, pp. 40–44.
2. Fokin V. A., Melik-Gaykazov I. V., Togunov M. B., Shitov Yu. A. Gornyi Zhurnal — Mining Journal, 2010, No. 9, pp. 32–35.