Destruction of high explosives and wastes containing high explosives using the Molten Salt Destruction Process

Conference · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:6883520

Upadhye, R S; Brummond, W A; Pruneda, C O

The current method of disposal of large quantities of high explosives (HE), or other energetic materials, by open-pit burning, or detonation is becoming an environmentally unacceptable form of bulk destruction of these materials because of the products of incomplete combustion of HE. The Molten Salt Destruction (MSD) Process has been demonstrated for the destruction of HE and HE-containing wastes. MSD converts the organic constituents (including the HE) of the waste into non-hazardous substances such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water. In the case of HE-containing mixed wastes, any actinides in the waste are retained in the molten salt, thus converting the mixed wastes into low-level wastes. The destruction of HE is accomplished by introducing it, together with oxidant gases, into a crucible containing a molten salt, such as sodium carbonate, or a suitable mixture of the carbonates of sodium, potassium, lithium and calcium. The temperature of the molten salt can be between 400 to 900[degree]C. The combustible organic components of the waste react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, nitrogen and steam. The inorganic components, in the form of ash,'' are captured in the molten salt bed as a result of wetting and dissolution of the ash. Halogenated hydrocarbons in the waste generate acid gases such as hydrogen chloride during the pyrolysis and combustion processes occurring in the melt. These are scrubbed by the alkaline carbonates, producing steam and the from the process are sent through standard off-gas clean-up processing before being, released to the atmosphere. At the end of the process runs, the salt is separated into carbonates, non-carbonate salts, and ash. The carbonates are recycled to the process, the stable salts are disposal of appropriately.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6883520
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-109564; CONF-920647--3; ON: DE93009240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450200 -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EXPLOSIVES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
MANAGEMENT
MOLTEN SALT WASTE GASIFICATION PROCESS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
PROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER