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U.S. Department of Energy
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Technical and economic analyses to assess the feasibility of using propellant - No. 2 fuel-oil slurries as supplemental fuels. Final report, Nov 90-Sep 91

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5954085

There is currently a large inventory of obsolete conventional munitions and waste propellants. Current alternatives to storage are open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) and incineration to reduce the inventory of these materials. Since environmental impact of OB/OD is under intense scrutiny, the US Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency is conducting a program to determine the feasibility of using propellants as supplemental fuels for the Army's industrial combustors. The first propellant studied was a nitrocellulose containing 13.15% nitrogen by weight. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics, as well as the chemical compatibility, of nitrocellulose-solvent-No. 2 fuel oil solutions. Unfortunately, the tests using nitrocellulose indicated that solvation and mixing with No.2 fuel oil is questionable from a cost standpoint due to the low solubility of this material; an economic analysis did indicate potential cost effectiveness using propellant-No. 2 fuel oil slurries as supplemental fuels. A second project assessed the technical, economic, and safety aspects of using propellant-No. 2 fuel oil slurries as supplemental fuels. Materials studies were nitrocellulose, nitroguanidine, and AA2 double-base propellant. Similar laboratory tests were again conducted. This report discusses results from these tests as well as from an economic analysis of the process.

Research Organization:
Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, AL (United States)
OSTI ID:
5954085
Report Number(s):
AD-A-241558/6/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English