Austin Powder is dedicated to innovation and sustainability, offering products designed to minimize environmental impact while maintaining exceptional performance.
Austin Powder is leading the explosives industry by developing lead-free primary explosive detonators ahead of regulatory mandates. This environmentally responsible initiative started in 2000 at Austin Detonator led by Pavel Valenta (R&D Director, AD) and in 2007 at Austin Star Detonator, spearheaded by Morris Bannerman and Göran Jidestig. Jan Jidestig, Director of R&D and QC, noted the 15-year challenge of developing, testing, and producing the new substance, which required significant product and manufacturing design changes. Homer Solis, Director of Austin Star Detonator, highlighted the company’s commitment to positive change, emphasizing the collaborative efforts of their chemists and engineers. Roman Vala, Technical Director of Austin Detonator, added that over 65 % of delay charges produced at Austin Detonator has been already replaced by lead-free alternatives and lead-free fusehead R&D project has been successfully finished. In the near future Austin Detonator is heading to full conversion of lead compounds to lead-free alternatives in all types of detonators. Despite the difficulties, young R&D teams at both locations successfully accomplished this challenging task, aligning with Austin Powder’s mission to improve the world we live in through the safe and responsible use of explosives
Dr. Martin Held, Global Director of Emulsions, and Abraham Lindo, Regional Technical Service Manager, have studied the quantification of NOx in blasting events using drones to optimize blasting techniques and minimize environmental effects. The formation of NOx fumes after a blast depends on various variables, and while detection methods using color schemes exist, quantification tools do not. In cooperation with DIRS at RIT, Austin Powder seeks methods to quantify NOx by capturing cloud activity via drone video feed, measuring NOx, and modeling the cloud. Collaborating with RIT, Austin Powder performed small-scale blasts at a test facility, transferring knowledge to full-scale blasts at customer sites to correlate explosive amounts with NOx production. Dr. Held highlights that quantifying fumes from non-ideal detonations can optimize blasting techniques, reduce environmental impact, and improve public perception of blasting as essential for societal progress.
In 2023, Austin Powder has incorporated high shear valves to increase emulsion viscosity of the Bulk emulsion minimizing the Nitrate migration to the water and to improve the quality of the gassed product for better blasting performance and help to minimize migration of nitrates into soil and surface water.
We are a traditional manufacturer of initiation systems for industrial blasting operations and an important technological and research base for production and further development of initiation systems.
Visit SiteAustin Powder Service CZ implements the latest technologies and products for blasting works, such as laser profiling, electronic modeling, and electronic detonators.
