Stemming Solutions

Unlock the Benefits of STEMGEL™

-

Reduce Risk, Enhance Safety, and Achieve Better Blasting Results

Unlock the Benefits of STEMGEL™ - Reduce Risk, Enhance Safety, and Achieve Better Blasting Results

STEMGEL™: The Game-Changer in Stemming

What is STEMGEL™ ?

STEMGEL™ is an Australian made water soluble Hydrogel Polymer stemming agent.

The STEMGEL™ forms when the dried STEMGEL™ powder is added to water where the water is absorbed into its hydrophilic polymer network, creating discrete gel particles that retain 400 to 600 times its molecular weight in water. This gives STEMGEL™ its properties such as its, Viscosity and Very Low (near 0) Shear Modulus (G) which make it an innovative stemming solution.

STEMGEL™ Explained

How does STEMGEL™ Work?

When explosives detonate, shockwaves break the surrounding rock. These waves consist of Primary (P-Waves) and Secondary (S-Waves), which behave differently when encountering STEMGEL™ compared to traditional stemming materials such as aggregate.

P-Waves, traveling at 4,000–6,000 m/s, are significantly slowed to around 1,000 m/s upon hitting STEMGEL™ due to its unique impedance properties. This attenuation reduces energy loss and enhances the efficiency of the blast.

S-Waves, unable to pass through STEMGEL™ due to its near-zero shear modulus, are reflected back as powerful tensile waves. Since rock is much weaker in tension than compression, this reflection maximizes fragmentation, delivering superior blast performance.