ABSTRACT
Initiation systems include a great variety of specialty products, such as fuses, detonators, and booster charges. Initiation systems are required to set off many charges in many separate drillholes in a predetermined timing delay pattern which is designed to provide optimal fragmentation and a minimum of ground vibration and flyrock. In the first Nobel patent for the detonator in 1865, a copper shell filled with a primary explosive, mercury fulminate, was crimped to the end of the black powder fuse. A primary explosive such as mercury fulminate, has the ability to transform from burning to detonation extremely quickly. The homogeneous liquid explosive nitroglycerin has a much smaller exposed burning surface than the granular black powder and requires a hotter flame to ignite. The conventional lead azide-based detonator has several disadvantages due to the primary explosive's sensitivity to heat, friction, and impact.
