Plasma arc technology development for application to demilitarization of pyrotechnic ordnance
- Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ (United States)
- MSE, Inc., Butte, MT (United States)
An initial investigation into the use of a plasma arc furnace for demilitarization of completely assembled, small-caliber, hand-emplaced pyrotechnic, smoke, and dye ordnance was conducted at the Department of Energy`s Western Environmental Technology Office, located in Butte, Montana. This technology is being pursued as an alternative to open burning/open detonation (OB/OD), which is the method of demilitarization traditionally used for these items, as increasingly more stringent environmental regulations have discouraged and disallowed the use of OB/OD. Problems have been experienced with the use of existing incinerators for demilitarization of these items. Varying quantities of 19 different types of live, completely assembled, small pyrotechnic, smoke, and dye items were processed in a pilot-scale Retech, Inc., Plasma Arc Centrifugal Treatment System. This testing demonstrated that a plasma arc furnace equipped with pollution abatement equipment can safely demilitarize these items in compliance with applicable environmental regulations. In addition, the process encapsulates heavy metals and other hazardous constituents into a solid, low-leachable slag product that passes Federally established tests as a nonhazardous material. This provides an advantage over standard incineration which yields a hazardous ash. The process also is able to overcome problems reported with standard incinerators. In addition, gas flows are significantly lower than those in standard incinerators, allowing smaller pollution abatement equipment to be used. However, operational problems and inefficiencies were identified that need to be resolved before full-scale implementation.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC22-88ID12735
- OSTI ID:
- 175916
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9510125-; TRN: IM9606%%59
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International symposium on environmental technologies: plasma systems and applications, Atlanta, GA (United States), 8-11 Oct 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the international symposium on environmental technologies: Plasma systems and applications. Volume 2; Mayne, P.W.; Mulholland, J.A. [eds.] [Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta, GA (United States)]; PB: 392 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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