Environmental Characteristics of Explosives

The selection of the type of explosive to be used for a particular task is based on two primary criteria. The explosive must be able to function safely and reliably under the environmental conditions of the proposed use, and the explosive must be the most economical to use. Before any blaster selects an explosive to be used for a particular task, one must determine which explosives would best suit the particular environment and the performance characteristics that will suit the economy of the job. Five environmental characteristics are considered in the selection of explosives: (1) sensitiveness, (2) water resistance, (3) fumes, (4) flammability and (5) temperature resistance.