Ammonium nitrate is less energetic than TNT, such that the explosion of 2750 tons, i.e. 2.75 kt, of the former has “only” the blast energy of 1.1-1.2 kt of TNT. The times I’ve seen the latter numbers mentioned in other articles was in the context of kt TNT blast equivalent.
“Ammonium nitrate is less energetic than TNT, such that the explosion of 2750 tons, i.e. 2.75 kt, of the former has “only” the blast energy of 1.1-1.2 kt of TNT.”
Personal experience verifies your statement about ANFO having less punch than dynamite.
In the ‘80s I worked in a quarry mine where the SOP was to plug a stick of dynamite with a blasting cap and tie the electrical wire around the stick and lower it down into the hole 50’deep. Then drop another stick in on top and if you didn’t hear a splash we’d fill the rest of the hole with ANFO. Our normal shots would just crumble the rock face and there would be very little if any flyrock.
One time it rained before the shot and the mine boss said to drop sticks in until you didn’t hear a splash anymore. Some holes got 8 sticks and this was a 50 hole shot. The blast was ridiculous and blew fly rock 150+ yards away punching holes in storage shacks and ripped the conveyor belt that fed the crusher.
I was under a loader bucket and got splashed when a chunk of flyrock landed in a puddle a few feet away.