POLLUTION BURDENS ASSOCIATED WITH LOAD ASSEMBLE/PACK OF AN AP BASED MK-66 PIP MOTOR BY CONTINUOUS AND BATCH PROCESSING/

The Clean Agile Manufacturing of Energetics (CAME) program was directe d to identify major pollution sources and to propose life-cycle facili ty modifications which can reduce pollution burdens (Ferry, W. J., Com prehensive Pollution Prevention Strategy-Memorandum for Secretaries of the Military Departments, et al., Department of Defense (11 August 19 94). Potential avenues for pollution prevention are the use of advance d energetic and propellant materials, different product formulations, alternate chemical synthesis and load/assemble/pack (LAP) operations, and advanced demilitarization practices, The objective of this study w as to compare batch and continuous processing of extruded composite pr opellant for the production of the motor for the MK-66 Safety Product Improvement Program (MK-66 PIP). The 2.75 inch motor uses an ammonium perchlorate based propellant formulation. Continuous processing of the motor is being developed and demonstrated as part of the Continuous P rocessing of Composite Propellant (CPOCP) program. The analysis compar es an existing batch mixing and extrusion based production of 30,000 r ocket motors to a proposed technology upgrade of continuous mixing and extrusion of the same composite propellant. Continuous processing off ers a potentially lower cost and safer method of extrusion as the ener getic material is subjected to high shear rates for a shorter period o f time, Additional benefits include increased mixing efficiency, super ior product homogeneity, and reduced wastes, The pollution burden was reduced using the proposed continuous process from 2.6 pounds of waste per pound of product to about one pound of waste per pound of product . This assumed that the product efficiency (number of motors produced to get the production goal of 30,000 certified motors) was the same fo r the batch and continuous processes. It was felt that the increased m ixing efficiency and superior product homogeneity will make the contin uous process more efficient. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Lt d.