In order to study the fractal characteristics of the pomegranate biotite schist under the effect of blasting loads, a one-dimensional SHPB impact test was carried out to test the dynamic compressive strength, damage morphology, fracture energy dissipation density, and other parameters of the rocks under different strain rates; besides, sieve tests were conducted to count the mass fractal characteristics of the crushed masses under different strain rates to calculate the fractal dimension of the crushed rock . Finally, the relationships between fractal dimension and dynamic compressive strength, crushing characteristics, and energy dissipation characteristics were analysed. The results show that under different impact loads, the strain rate effect of the rock is significant and the dynamic compressive strength increases with the increasing strain rate, and they show a multiplicative power relationship. The higher the strain rate of the rock, the deeper the fragmentation and the higher the fractal dimension, and the fractal dimension and rock crushing energy density are multiplied by a power relationship. By performing the comparative analysis of the pomegranate biotite schist, a reasonable strain rate range of 78.75 s^-1~82.51 s^-1 and a reasonable crushing energy consumption density range of 0.78 J·cm^-3~0.92 J·cm^-3 were determined. This research provides a great reference for the analysis of dynamic crushing mechanism, crushing block size distribution, and crushing energy consumption of the roadway surrounding rock.

In order to effectively reduce the disturbance of the precrack blasting vibration on slope rock mass, except paying attention to the damping effect of the precrack, it is also necessary to optimize the blasting parameters and initiation mode of the precrack itself. Based on the blasting theory and empirical formula, the parameters of presplitting blasting such as the hole diameter, hole spacing, charge decoupling coefficient, and line charge density were determined, and field tests of conventional pre-splitting blasting and presplitting blasting with precise delay and hole-by-hole initiation were carried out on the west slope of Buzhaoba. Regression analysis was carried out on the vibration monitoring data, and the blasting vibration attenuation regularity of slope particles was obtained. By comparing the monitored vibration velocity of the two presplitting blasting tests and the forecast results of theoretical calculation, the average reduction rate of the conventional same row blasting vibration is 26.40%, while that of the hole-by-hole blasting vibration can reach 41.45% with a half hole rate of 80.7% and an irregularity of about 130 mm. Results show that the effect of precise delay initiation between preholes based on the digital electronic detonator is better than that of the simultaneous initiation of preholes. Therefore, it is suggested that the hole-by-hole presplitting blasting technology should be applied in the excavation of boundary slope and the treatment of high and steep slope.

In the process of porous blasting excavation in engineering projects such as mining, hydropower stations, and tunnels, the delay time between adjacent blast holes significantly influences the characteristics of rock fracture and fragmentation. In order to visually explore the changing characteristics of strain and displacement between adjacent blast holes under different delay times, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plates were used to simulate rock materials, and 2D digital image correlation (2D-DIC) testing methods were employed to measure the explosive strain field with different delay times (0 µs, 5 µs, 15 µs, 40 µs, 70 µs) for dual holes. Full-field principal strain cloud maps and displacement fields of PMMA boards in two-dimensional spatial coordinates were obtained, and the representative monitoring points were analyzed. The experimental results show that the maximum values of the first compressive principal strain peak and the first tensile principal strain peak at the connecting center of the two holes exist at a delay time of 0~40 µs under blasting conditions with the same hole distance and single hole charge. At the center point of the connection between the two holes, the interval time between the two principal strain peaks decreases with the increase in delay time. The maximum principal strain on the central vertical line of the connection line decreases exponentially with the increase in hole distance, and the attenuation trend increases first and then decreases with the delay time between 0 and 40 µs. At the peak of strain, the maximum average displacement of the connecting center of the two holes exists in the delay time between 0 and 40 µs. With the increase in delay time, the displacement trend between the two explosion holes gradually changes from shear to tension, and the vulnerable damage area increases, which makes the communication between the two explosion holes easier. This study can provide a basis for the precise selection of delay times between blasting holes in engineering.

In the traditional presplitting blasting, the presplit holes are generally uniformly initiated, which causes local damage to the retained rock mass while forming the damping ditch. In order to determine the optimal delay time of the precise delay initiation hole by hole, the finite element software ANSYS/LS‐DYNA is used to build a blasting model of the concrete, which includes concrete, explosive, and air to simulate the crack forming process of the presplitting hole under various initiation modes. Four kinds of initiation modes for blasting, namely, simultaneous initiation with 0 ms, 9 ms, 12 ms, and 15 ms of delay between adjacent holes, are set up to determine the exact delay time of the best presplitting effect. The simulation results show that when the prehole detonates simultaneously, the inner hole crack penetrates the fastest, but the peak stress around the hole is up to 147.9 MPa. When interhole delayed initiation is used, although the time of interhole crack penetration is prolonged, the stress coupling is generated around the precrack and the maximum stress is obviously reduced. The maximum stress generated under the three delayed initiation conditions is only 76.8 MPa. Considering the requirement of damage control of surrounding rock mass and the rapid formation of precrack, 9 ms delay time is determined as the precise delay time of this test.

In order to study the influence of pillar stopping blasting on the stability of cemented backfill, the dynamic impact test under low strain rate (61.1∼86.8 s⁻¹) was conducted on cemented backfill with two kinds of strength using three‐dimensional coupled static‐dynamic SHPB equipment. At the same time, the strain rate effect of failure mode, dynamic strength factor, and energy transfer of backfill were analyzed. The results show that when the cemented backfill was loaded under different strain rates in the initial three‐dimensional static pressure environment, the pore compaction process was no longer obvious but directly entered the elastic deformation stage. Within the range of strain rates, the extreme value of dynamic intensity factor (DIF) of CTB₂₃₀ was 6.8, while the extreme value of dynamic intensity factor of CTB₃₁₀ specimen did not appear within the range of strain rates due to the improvement of the internal cementation force between particles. The fracture surfaces of specimens were perpendicular to the direction of load, and the failure mode was mainly the axial tensile failure, and the fracture surfaces were mostly close to the loading end. According to energy calculation, reflected energy accounts for 80.4%∼86.6% of incident energy; dissipated energy, 5.5%∼14.3%; transmitted energy, 5.3%∼7.9%.

Efficient recovery of critical metals from complex polymetallic ores relies on clarifying their mineralogical occurrence. A Cd-Ag-rich Pb-Zn ore from southwestern China was investigated via a multi-scale process mineralogy approach integrating reflected-light microscopy, TIMA and LA-ICP-MS. Systematic analysis was conducted on ore texture, mineral liberation characteristics, and the occurrence and distribution of Ag and Cd. The ore is a medium–low grade Pb-Zn deposit (Pb 0.81%, Zn 4.33%) with economically recoverable associated Cd (0.066%) and Ag (5.04 ppm), dominated by sphalerite (7.74%), galena (1.39%), pyrite (3.92%), quartz (47.80%) and calcite (18.66%). TIMA analysis revealed poor liberation of sphalerite and galena, with fully liberated particles accounting for <30%. LA-ICP-MS results showed that Cd is highly enriched in sphalerite (average 5982 ppm, 98%) mainly in isomorphous form, while Ag is dispersed in pyrite (average 178 ppm, 56%), galena (average 227 ppm, 25%) and sphalerite (average 31 ppm, 19%), also primarily as isomorphs; partial Cd in pyrite occurs as micro-inclusions. The multi-scale mineralogical data provide a scientific basis for resource utilization, indicating the necessity of fine grinding and differentiated recovery strategies: “zinc depression followed by lead flotation” for Pb-Zn recovery, the establishment of a comprehensive Ag recovery system with Pb-Zn-Fe as carriers for Ag recovery, and “Zn-carried Cd” flotation for Cd recovery. This study verifies the effectiveness of combined TIMA and LA-ICP-MS in elucidating critical metal occurrence, and provides a mineralogy-based process design for the sustainable processing of such complex ores.