Destruction of explosive materials

Destruction of explosives includes destruction of explosive materials and their waste which present a danger of explosion, removal of explosive residues on machines, instruments, pipes etc., and handling objects with adhering explosives (for the evacuation and handling of... 

The following techniques may be used in the destruction of explosive materials ... 

Case bonded -> Composite Propellants are unloaded from their casing by a remote controlled lathe or water gun also - Case Bonding Also -> Destruction of Explosive Materials... 

In the absence of specific regulations covering any phase of the destruction of explosive material, complete information will be forwarded through command channels to the Commander, DARCOM, ATTN DRCSF, requesting instructions and guidance. 

Nonexpendable light sources, such as a Q-switched pulsed laser can be protected. from destructive forces encountered in the photography of explosive material by piping the light through fiber optics, to the experimental zone. Occasionally lens systems are used to relay the light from mirrors located near a protective barrier shielding the laser (Ref 16)... 

Burning of Ammunition and Explosives for Destruction This is one of the methods used for the destruction of expl materials which cannot be economically salvaged... 

Base Hydrolysis Base hydrolysis is being studied as a chemical conversion method for the destruction of energetic materials. Base hydrolysis of energetic materials has been studied previously by LANL. In prior research, they have shown that 1.5 M sodium hydroxide solutions at 85° to 90°C readily break down many explosives and their PBX formulations to nonexplosive hydrolysis products. In order to understand the process and properly dispose of or treat the resulting products, a mass balance is required for the process. This requires identification and quantification of the products. 

The problem of explosion of a vapor cloud is not only that it is potentially very destructive but also that it may occur some distance from the point of vapor release and may thus threaten a considerable area. If the explosion occurs in an unconfined vapor cloud, the energy in the blast wave is generally only a small fraction of the energy theoretically available from the combustion of all the material that constitutes the cloud. The ratio of the actual energy released to that theoretically available from the heat of combustion is referred to as the explosion efficiency. Explosion efficiencies are typically in the range of 1 to 10 percent. A value of 3 percent is often assumed. 

A hydrogen bomb, which uses nuclear fusion for its destructive power, is three bombs in one. A conventional explosive charge triggers a fission bomb, which in turn triggers a fusion reaction. Such bombs can be considerably more powerful than fission bombs because they can incorporate larger masses of nuclear fuel. In a fission bomb, no component of fissionable material can exceed the critical mass. In fusion, there is no critical mass because fusion begins at a threshold temperature and is independent of the amount of nuclear fuel present. Thus, there is no theoretical limit on how much nuclear fiiel can be squeezed into a fusion bomb. 

A 20 g sample, prepared and stored in a dry box for several months, developed a thin crust of oxidation/hydrolysis products. When the crust was disturbed, a violent explosion occurred, later estimated as equivalent to 230 g TNT. A weaker explosion was observed with potassium tetrahydroaluminate. The effect was attributed to superoxidation of traces of metallic potassium, and subsequent interaction of the hexahydroaluminate and superoxide after frictional initiation. Precautions advised include use of freshly prepared material, minimal storage in a dry diluent under an inert atmosphere and destruction of solid residues. Potassium hydrides and caesium hexahydroaluminate may behave similarly, as caesium also superoxidises in air. 

Good incendiaries can be improvised more easily than explosives and the materials are more easily obtained. On a pound for pound basis, incendiaries can do more damage than explosives against many type targets if properly used. There is a time lag, however, between the start of a fire and the destruction of the target. During this period the fire may be discovered and controlled or put out. An explosive once detonated has done its work. 

Unconfined explosion Unconfined explosions occur in the open. This type of explosion is usually the result of a flammable gas spill. The gas is dispersed and mixed with air until it comes in contact with an ignition source. Unconfined explosions are rarer than confined explosions because the explosive material is frequently diluted below the LFL by wind dispersion. These explosions are destructive because large quantities of gas and large areas are frequently involved. 

The use of industrial chemicals with less explosive potential makes the process more intrinsically safe. Most dangerous explosions come from large clouds of flammable material which find an ignition source. Flixborough (Lees, 1996) is an example of the destruction caused by such an incident. 

A patient with a large amount of radioactive material imbedded in a wound warrants special attention because the material could cause a significant exposure hazard to treatment personnel. Dose equivalent rates from fragments resulting from the explosion of a nuclear reactor may be as high as 100 rem per hour.1 The symptoms that may be displayed by individuals exposed to weapons of mass destruction are presented in Tables 3.2 and 3.3. 

Heat, and sometimes gas, transfer from the core of a bulk material, also influences auto-ignition and explosion. The concept of critical mass is not limited to nuclear explosives (though shape is also important). Some entries in this text, such as sodium chlorate, ammonium nitrate and ammonium perchlorate, have proved extremely destructive dining industrial storage by the tens of tonnes, but are incapable of explosion at the ten gramme scale. Many other entries are for hazards significant only beyond laboratory scale [1]. 

Exploding (or Detonating) Ammunition and Explosives Destined for Destruction. Explosive materials or ammunition items which cannot be destroyed by burning or by chemical method must be destroyed by explosion (or detonation) or drowned in deep places of the ocean as far as possible from the nearest land (See Vol 3, p D28-L)... 

Because TNT is an explosive, safety considerations may impose constraints on potential treatment options. Photocatalytic oxidation offers several significant advantages in this regard. Oxidative destruction of the contaminants, rather than separation and concentration, helps prevent the buildup of potentially explosive residues. Low (ambient)-temperature operation circumvents potential problems associated with ignition sources located in close proximity to large quantities of explosive mixtures. These advantages have prompted several examinations of photocatalytic oxidation as potential treatment technology for use in association with TNT, as well as other explosive materials [21-28]. 

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