CENTER OF EXCELLENCE DEDICATED TO EXPLOSIVES RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Contact Information:

Mining Engineering Department Dr. Priscilla Nelsonpnelson@mines.edu (303) 384-2606

AXPRO Team Dr. Vilem Petrvpetr@mines.edu (303) 273-3222

Mining Engineering DepartmentAXPRO TeamBrown Building, Room 1291600 Illinois StGolden, Colorado 80401http://axpro.mines.edu/

Headquarters Colorado School of Mines

Brown Building

The AXPRO Mission is to leverage the research, facilities, processes, capabilities, and experience of the Colorado School of Mines Mining Engineering Department to assist customers with explosives research and testing.

A X P R O A D V A N C E D E X P L O S I V E

P R O C E S S I N G R E S E A R C H G R O U P

Parking Instructions:

Visitor parking is authorized in the blue and yellow lots where our "pay and display" parking meters are located.

Colorado School of Mines Laboratory consists of several laboratories on the Colorado School of Mines campus in Brown Building. On-campus AXPRO laboratories include an indoors blasting chamber, vacuum chamber, and rock fragmentation laboratory. Support facilities include: a sample preparation lab; machine shop; fully equipped offices, meeting rooms, and classrooms; two outdoor type 2 magazines and one indoor type 2 magazine with fire protection cabinet. 

First Test at ERL in 2004

The Explosive Research Laboratory is a 2000-acre property in Idaho Springs, Colorado with the goal of being a world leader in the measurement of explosive properties. The laboratory consists of multiple test sites and support facilities. Support facilities include an on-site office; preparation/changing room; one type 1 magazine, four type 2 magazines, one type 3 magazine; and a machine shop.

SERVICES

AXPRO provides services and technical consulting for domestic and international industries such as mining, oil and gas, and energy. AXPRO offers world-class explosives training for governmental and industrial research groups.

Capabilities include:

• Objective evaluation of industry procedures and development of safety standards and protocols

• Safe integration of government standards for new explosive technologies to private industry

• Detailed investigation of explosives technologies to advance government and industry standards

• Measurement of explosive energy and post-detonation gases

• Experimentation of energetic material performance 

• Expertise of ammonium nitrate properties: post detonation properties and physical, chemical, and detonation physics

• Fragmentation studies, using novel methods in a variety of materials

• Environmental studies of blasting effects, including detailed measurements of air overpressure and ground vibration

EDUCATION

Colorado School of Mines Mining Engineering Department offers internationally recognized, ABET accredited undergraduate and graduate programs in mining engineering and the geosciences. Mining Engineering Department offers an Explosives Engineering minor program to prepare the next generation of explosives engineers. The AXPRO team works closely with the Mining Engineering Department to enhance the explosives minor program. This collaboration exposes students to cutting edge explosives research currently being conducted by AXPRO and provides students with practical field experience. 

PROGRAMS/COURSES

Graduate Program M.S. Mining and Earth Systems Engineering with a focus on Explosives Engineering- in progress, offered to anyone interested in explosives engineeringUndergraduate Program Minor program: Explosives Engineering (18 credits) Required CoursesMNGN 333 Explosives Engineering IMNGN 444 Explosives Engineering IIMNGN 407 Rock Fragmentation————————————————————MNGN 222 Introduction to Explosives EngineeringMNGN 598 Experimental Methods and Instrumentation for Explosives Engineering

RESEARCH

AXPRO Group is involved in a wide range of research activities. Focal points of our current research include industrial clean up, avalanche control, resource recovery, explosive welding, explosions and material fragmentation, atmospheric charge characterization, initiation system evaluations, physical characterization of improvised explosive devices, and explosive properties validation.

Characterization tools include, but are not limited to, pulse x-rays, photon doppler velocimeter, detonation of velocities, detonation pressures, cylindrical test, aquarium tests, high speed imagery and lighting, shadow graph technique, Schlieren photography, post blast fumes chamber, vacuum chamber, and blast and environmental chamber.

Images above illustrate AXPRO Team capabilities in Service, Education, and Research