Los Alamos Natlonal Laboratounder contrad W-7405-ENG-3z~By acceptance of thls artlcle, the publisher recognizes that the U.S. Government retains a nonexclushre roy publish or rqroduca the published form of thls contnbutlon, or to allow others to do so. for U.S. Government p u y e s . AbstractLos Alamos National Laboratory has demonstrated that many energetic materials can be rendered non-energetic via reaction with sodium hydroxide or ammonia. This process is known as base hydrolysis. A pilot scale reactor has been developed to process up to 20 kg of plastic bonded explosive in a single batch operation. In this report, we discuss the design and operation of the pilot scale reactor for the processing of PBX 9404, a standard Department of Energy plastic bonded explosive containing HMX and nitrocellulose. Products from base hydrolysis, although non-energetic, still require additional processing before release to the environment. Decomposition products, destruction efficiencies, and rates of reaction for base hydrolysis will be presented. Hydrothermal processing, previously known as supercritical water oxidation, has been proposed for converting organic products from hydrolysis to carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and nitrous oxide. Base hydrolysis in combination with hydrothermal processing may yield a viable alternative to open burning/open detonation for destruction of many energetic materials.

Los Alamos Natlonal Laboratounder contrad W-7405-ENG-3z~By acceptance of thls artlcle, the publisher recognizes that the U.S. Government retains a nonexclushre roy publish or rqroduca the published form of thls contnbutlon, or to allow others to do so. for U.S. Government p u y e s . AbstractLos Alamos National Laboratory has demonstrated that many energetic materials can be rendered non-energetic via reaction with sodium hydroxide or ammonia. This process is known as base hydrolysis. A pilot scale reactor has been developed to process up to 20 kg of plastic bonded explosive in a single batch operation. In this report, we discuss the design and operation of the pilot scale reactor for the processing of PBX 9404, a standard Department of Energy plastic bonded explosive containing HMX and nitrocellulose. Products from base hydrolysis, although non-energetic, still require additional processing before release to the environment. Decomposition products, destruction efficiencies, and rates of reaction for base hydrolysis will be presented. Hydrothermal processing, previously known as supercritical water oxidation, has been proposed for converting organic products from hydrolysis to carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and nitrous oxide. Base hydrolysis in combination with hydrothermal processing may yield a viable alternative to open burning/open detonation for destruction of many energetic materials.

A screening test was developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory [1] that can be used to decide if a newly synthesized/ formulated explosive might warrant further development. The test consists of firing a rate-stick composed of 12.7 mm diameter by 12.7 mm high pellets of different densities ordered from lowest to highest, initiated by a detonator at the low-density end of the stick. This poly-rho test yields detonation velocities over a range of densities using only the small amount of the explosive typically generated by the synthetic organic chemist at an early stage of the scale-up process. The amount of material required is far less than that required for the typical rate-stick series. This paper presents results on poly-rho tests that were conducted on three explosives commonly used at Los Alamos National Laboratory, namely PBX 9501, PBX 9502 and PETN. The results are compared with empirical detonation-theory predictions and existing explosive experimental data, with good agreement in all cases.

No abstract

Los Alamos Natlonal Laboratounder contrad W-7405-ENG-3z~By acceptance of thls artlcle, the publisher recognizes that the U.S. Government retains a nonexclushre roy publish or rqroduca the published form of thls contnbutlon, or to allow others to do so. for U.S. Government p u y e s . AbstractLos Alamos National Laboratory has demonstrated that many energetic materials can be rendered non-energetic via reaction with sodium hydroxide or ammonia. This process is known as base hydrolysis. A pilot scale reactor has been developed to process up to 20 kg of plastic bonded explosive in a single batch operation. In this report, we discuss the design and operation of the pilot scale reactor for the processing of PBX 9404, a standard Department of Energy plastic bonded explosive containing HMX and nitrocellulose. Products from base hydrolysis, although non-energetic, still require additional processing before release to the environment. Decomposition products, destruction efficiencies, and rates of reaction for base hydrolysis will be presented. Hydrothermal processing, previously known as supercritical water oxidation, has been proposed for converting organic products from hydrolysis to carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and nitrous oxide. Base hydrolysis in combination with hydrothermal processing may yield a viable alternative to open burning/open detonation for destruction of many energetic materials.