Recent advances in the molten salt technology for the destruction of energetic materials
The DOE has thousands of pounds of energetic materials which result from dismantlement operations at the Pantex Plant. The authors have demonstrated the Molten Salt Destruction (MSD) Process for the treatment of explosives and explosive-containing wastes on a 1.5 kilogram of explosive per hour scale and are currently building a 5 kilogram per hour unit. MSD converts the organic constituents of the waste into non-hazardous substances such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water. Any inorganic constituents of the waste, such as binders and metallic particles, are retained in the molten salt. The destruction of energetic material waste is accomplished by introducing it, together with air, into a crucible containing a molten salt, in this case a eutectic mixture of Na, K, and Li carbonates. The following pure component DOE and DoD explosives have been destroyed in LLNL`s experimental unit at their High Explosives Applications Facility (HEAF): ammonium picrate, HMX, K-6, NQ, NTO, PETN, RDX, TATB, and TNT. In addition, the following formulations were also destroyed: Comp B, LX-10, LX-16, LX-17, PBX-9404, and XM46, a US Army liquid gun propellant. In this 1.5 kg/hr unit, the fractions of carbon converted to CO and of chemically bound nitrogen converted to NOx were found to be well below 1T. In addition to destroying explosive powders and molding powders the authors have also destroyed materials that are typical of real world wastes. These include shavings from machined pressed parts of plastic bonded explosives and sump waste containing both explosives and non-explosive debris. Based on the information obtained on the smaller unit, the authors have constructed a 5 kg/hr MSD unit, incorporating LLNL`s advanced chimney design. This unit is currently under shakedown tests and evaluation.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 231979
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-122955; CONF-951262-6; ON: DE96010012; TRN: AHC29611%%12
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force safety and environmental protection subcommittee meeting, Tampa, FL (United States), 5-8 Dec 1995; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Molten salt destruction as an alternative to open burning of energetic material wastes
Molten salt destruction of energetic material wastes as an alternative to open burning. Revision 1
Related Subjects
05 NUCLEAR FUELS
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
NUCLEAR WEAPONS DISMANTLEMENT
NONRADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES
DECOMPOSITION
AMMUNITION
PROPELLANTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
MOLTEN SALTS
SODIUM CARBONATES
POTASSIUM CARBONATES
LITHIUM CARBONATES
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DESIGN
PERFORMANCE