ICI (CHINA) LTD.,
HONG KONG.
than MAN, and have specifically rejected the use of MAN as sensitiser in our slurry explosives.
e reason for this is safety. Paint fine aluminium is not itself an explosive. MAN is an explosive. It is hazardous to make to store and to transport. There have been at least two serious explosions in the US with MAN being used as an ingredient. By contrast, all the ingredients in IRECO/ICI's explosives are themselves non explosives. IRECO/ICI's explosives are therefore safer to store and process and transport than explosives using MAN. Whilst on the subject of safety, it is worth mentioning that considerable quantities of slurry explosives based on MAN have had to be destroyed in Hong Kong as being unsafe. To the best of our knowledge, only one small quantity of ICI/IRECO slurry explosives has ever been destroyed in Hong Kong.
ICI were the first to introduce slurry explosives to Hong Kong in early 1973. ICI explosives made by ICECO (a joint venture of ICI and IRECO) have been manufactured and used on the High Island Dam site continuously ever since.
ICI is the longest established supplier of explosives to the Hong Kong market with the most experience of any supplier. For example, in 1977 (excluding ANFO types of explosives), ICI supplied more than 70% of the total Hong Kong demand for industrial explosives.
World-wide, ICI is the largest producer of industrial blasting explosives with manufacturing in many countries. We are, therefore, the most experienced producer of explosives in the world.
ICI's slurry explosives technology is suitable for all sizes of cartridges. It is used in many countries in a variety of cartridge sizes, including the small diameter sizes proposed for Hong Kong. These small diameter cartridges have been used successfully in Hong Kong both in test firings and very extensively by customers of ICI and ICI's agents, China Engineers, in normal commercial blasting operations in a wide variety of projects in Hong Kong.
ICI has available to it the continuing research, development and experience of IRECO together with our own extensive research, development and world-wide experience. We believe this is a positive advantage of our technology. We use paint fine aluminium technology not because we have to, not because ICI invented it and is therefore in some way committed to it in a biased way, but simply because we believe it is the best and the safest slurry explosives technology available.
As you can see, ICI has no doubts that its technology for slurry explosives, including small diameter explosives, is at least as good as any other technology. In particular, we believe that overall, and from a point of view of safety, our products are superior to those based on MAN as a sensitiser.
In view of all the above, when the Government evaluates the tenders of ICI and du Pont for Stonecutters Island, I believe ICI would find any decision for the slurry explosives project going against ICI, because of doubts about the source of ICI's technology, ICI's experience with the technology, the suitability of the technology for Hong Kong, et cetera, extremely difficult to accept.
D Cornthwaite
Managing Director ICI (China) Ltd 25.10.78
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