Cardox
The Cardox system is a non-explosives rock breaking system that was pioneered in the UK. The operations for Cardox began in 1930 and over the last 9 decades, they have refined the system and now have a presence in over 45 countries worldwide. Its components have been verified and certified by recognized international testing bodies to be a non-explosives system.
Its application produces no fly rock, negligible levels of ground vibrations, very little sound and no release of toxic chemicals/gases. This along with its non-explosives classifications makes its importation, transportation, storage and use much easier compared to explosives. It is significantly more affordable compared to chemical blasting.
Cardox consists of high strength reusable steel Tubes filled with liquid carbon dioxide, a chemical Heater and a Rupture Disc. When energized by a small electrical impulse from a hand held activating machine to the Tube, a low-tension electric fuse initiates a rapid reaction in the Heater causing the liquid carbon dioxide to pressurize. This instantaneous build-up in pressure reaches a yield pressure of the Rupture Disc, which bursts releasing a heaving mass of CO2 expanding to 600 times its original volume, which aerates and clears the surrounding material.
The whole process takes less than 1 second.
The pressure the Cardox Tube generates can be regulated between 2800 bar (40,000 psi) and 1200 bar (18,000 psi) by selecting the thickness of the rupture Disc. The Cardox Tubes are used over and over, the Heater and Rupture Disc being replaced after each use.
Benefits of the Cardox System
The Cardox system is firstly a non-explosives rock breaking solution. This statement is proven and verified from the multiple test certifications procured over the years from independent and recognized testing bodies. Just some of the testing certifications obtained proving the non-explosive classification of the Cardox system are from Dekra, Chilworth and HSE. Due to its non-explosive classification, importation, transportation, storage and use of the Cardox system is significantly easier compared to explosives.
Other advantage of the Cardox system is that it produces negligible levels of grounds vibrations, no fly rock, minimal noise, and no release of hazardous material.
The Velocity of Detonation (VOD) of an explosives blast could be up to 5,000 meters per second (m/s). With Cardox however, the VOD is 400m/s: less than 12 times the VOD of explosives. As such, the vibrations that would travel from a Cardox activation is a fraction of the vibrations produced from an explosives blast. Please observe some of the results of Cardox testing in the tables attached below:
