VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS FROM RECLAMATION OF MILITARY MUNITIONS

The Department of Defense has a backlog of excess, obsolete and unserv iceable munitions for disposal. For many of these munition items the o nly method of disposal is open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) which d estroys valuable resources which can be reclaimed and converted to use ful products. The Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NAVSUR FWARCENDIV Crane) in support of the Navy's Ordnance Reclamation Progra m and the Joint Service Large Rocket Motor Disposal Program has been d eveloping technology for the removal and reclamation of the energetics from munitions. The University of Missouri-Rolla has demonstrated the use of high pressure waterjet technology for removal of PBX explosive s from projectiles and warheads. Development work is nearing completio n for demonstrating the capability to remove Class 1.1 propellant from strategic rocket motors using high pressure waterjets. Current projec ts are under way focusing on resource recovery and recycling (R3) of t he reclaimed energetics while minimizing disposal. The current reclama tion projects include reformulation of the explosives and Class 1.1 pr opellants into commercial blasting agents, reuse of Navy gun propellan t for various applications including agriculture and oil-gas well stim ulation. Other projects include the recovery of RDX/HMX from Class 1.1 explosives and propellants and the conversion of Explosive D into hig her value products. Lab/bench scale testing has been completed on many of these processes, and for some pilot scale demonstrations have been or are scheduled to be completed during 1997. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd. All lights reserved.