Analysis of Engineering Design Studies for Demilitarization of Assembled Chemical Weapons at Pueblo Chemical Depot (2001) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
2. Hydrolysis Tests of Energetic Materials
2. Hydrolysis Tests of Energetic Materials
Pages 17-26
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 17... ...
The committee reiterated these concerns in the supplemental report (NRC, 2000~. In response to these concerns, PMACWA initiated a multilaboratory test program during the EDS phase to clarify the chemical and engineering parameters for the efficient, safe alkaline hydrolysis of the energetic materials in assembled chemical weapons.
|
From page 18... ...
CAUSTIC HYDROLYSIS OF ENERGETIC MATERIALS Caustic hydrolysis of energetic materials has been investigated as an alternative technology to the OB/OD method. Newman (1999~i published a review of the known chemistry of caustic hydrolysis of energetic materials used in assembled chemical weapons, and recent work on the destruction of aromatic nitro compounds (TNT and tetryl)
|
From page 19... ...
Because upsets are always possible, the reactors and containment buildings must be designed to contain the maximum credible explosive event.3 A thorough understanding of fundamental requirements for the hydrolysis of energetic materials is essential to the design and operation of a chemical agent demilitarization facility, where high levels of engineering controls are necessary to ensure the safe disposal of chemical agent and the prevention of process upsets throughout the facility. The ACW I Committee report indicated that four issues surrounding the caustic hydrolysis of energetic materials must be addressed (NRC, 1999~: determination of the steps required for removing the energetic material from the munitions and reducing it to the appropriate particle size determination of safe operating parameters for heterogeneous mixtures of energetics, metals, and contaminants 3A determunation of the maximum credible explosive event is made by considenng the probabilities of accidental violent reactions (e.g., rapid burning or detonation of energetic materials)
|
From page 20... ...
Other objectives of the system performance evaluation are summarized below (Bonnett, 2000~: to demonstrate performance of the control sensors and the logic programming for the sensors to determine the efficacy of process cooling and temperature control to determine the efficiency of agitation by the impeller and the recirculation loop to determine the efficacy of steps taken to control foam formation to determine condenser performance to determine maintenance requirements to develop a contingency for sudden shutdown Hydrolysate samples collected during tests will be used in the following ways: to characterize fully hydrolysate products as a function of time and reactor operating parameters (e.g., temperature, residence time, and caustic concentration) to determine if any energetic materials are generated as by-products (e.g., picric acid)
|
From page 21... ...
. PROGRAM STATUS Results of Tests at the Holston Army Ammunition Plant Because the start of the EDS test program on energetics hydrolysis was delayed, the testing at HAAP had generated only limited data at the time this report was prepared.
|
From page 22... ...
The results will add to the technology base for the hydrolysis of energetic materials. Results of Tests at the Naval Surface Warfare Center The experimental database generated thus far includes completed accelerating rate calorimetry runs of neat energetic materials and runs of a mixture of tetrytol in a 30 weight percent solution of NaOH (Bishop, 2000~.
|
From page 23... ...
Additional agitation was provided by an external recirculation loop that accepted material from the bottom of the tank and returned it to the top. The external recirculation loop had steam trace heating and two parallel pathways fitted with closed impeller pumps that were not designed to handle slurries.
|
From page 24... ...
. The following significant issues should be resolved to reduce uncertainties about the effectiveness and safety of using hydrolysis operations for destroying energetic materials: · the particle size reduction of energetics that must be achieved for proper operation · the solubility of energetics in specific alkaline solutions · process design of the unit operation and the identification of processing parameters (such as the degree of
|
From page 25... ...
EM-4. Although the EDS energetics hydrolysis test program addresses many of the issues related to effective destruction of energetic materials from assembled chemical weapons, the tests are based on a predetermined granulation of the feedstock and will not provide information for determining the optimum granule size for disposal operations at Pueblo.
|
From page 26... ...
EM-2. Any post-hydrolysis treatment technology selected for the Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment program must be capable of accommodating the possible presence of high-molecular-weight organic compounds generated from aromatic nitro compounds.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.