U.S. patent application number 12/900034 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-13 for demilitarization of wax desensitized explosive projectiles.
This patent application is currently assigned to G.D.O., Inc. Invention is credited to Duane A. Goetsch, Steven J. Schmit, Ryan M. Smith.
Application Number | 20120227877 12/900034 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46794435 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120227877 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goetsch; Duane A. ; et
al. |
September 13, 2012 |
DEMILITARIZATION OF WAX DESENSITIZED EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILES
Abstract
A method for demilitarizing projectiles, typically military
projectiles, containing a class of energetic materials known as
Composition A which are wax desensitized materials. The projectiles
are opened to expose the wax desensitized energetic material, which
is then removed from the projectile by fluid jet technology. The
wax component is separated from the energetic particles only to a
degree that will leave an effective amount of desensitizing coating
of wax remaining on the particles.
Inventors: |
Goetsch; Duane A.; (Andover,
MN) ; Schmit; Steven J.; (Elk River, MN) ;
Smith; Ryan M.; (Minnetonka, MN) |
Assignee: |
G.D.O., Inc
Elk River
MN
|
Family ID: |
46794435 |
Appl. No.: |
12/900034 |
Filed: |
October 7, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61278511 |
Oct 7, 2009 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
149/92 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C06B 21/0091 20130101;
F42B 33/062 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
149/92 |
International
Class: |
C06B 25/34 20060101
C06B025/34 |
Claims
1. A process for demilitarizing a projectile containing a wax
desensitized energetic material comprised of a wax component and an
energetic particulate component, which process comprises: a)
exposing the wax desensitized energetic material in the projectile;
b) removing the wax desensitized energetic material from the
projectile with the use of a fluid jet operated at a pressure from
about 20,000 to about 150,000 psig thereby resulting in wax
desensitized energetic particles having a fraction of the wax
component separated therefrom, but leaving an effective amount of
wax on said energetic material so that the energetic particles
remain desensitized; c) collecting the separated wax component; and
d) collecting the resulting wax desensitized energetic
particles.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the fluid of the fluid jet is
water.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein the pressure of the fluid jet is
from about 40,000 psig to about 150,000 psig.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein the wax is a naturally occurring
wax.
5. The process of claim 4 wherein the wax is a beeswax.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein the wax is a synthetic wax.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein the energetic component is
selected from the group consisting of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine
(RDX); cyclotetromethylene tetranitramine (HMX);
2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNT); Amatol (Ammonium
Nitrate/TNT); Cyclotol (RDX/TNT); and Octol (HMX/TNT).
8. The process of claim 1 wherein there is also present aluminum
particles along with the energetic particles.
9. The process of claim 7 wherein the energetic is selected from
the group consisting of RDX, TNT, and HMX.
10. The process of claim 1 wherein the wax desensitized material is
exposed by cutting open the projectile by use of a high pressure
fluid jet.
11. The process of claim 10 wherein the fluid of the fluid jet is
water and wherein there is also present an abrasive material.
12. The process of claim 11 wherein the abrasive material is
selected from the group consisting of glass, silica, alumina,
silicon carbide, garnet, as well as elemental metal and metal alloy
slags and grits.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein the abrasive material is
garnet.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on Provisional Application
61/278,511 filed on Oct. 7, 2009.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a method for demilitarizing
projectiles, typically military projectiles, containing a class of
energetic materials known as Composition A which are wax
desensitized materials. The projectiles are opened to expose the
wax desensitized energetic material, which is then removed from the
projectile by fluid jet technology. The wax component is separated
from the energetic particles only to a degree that will leave an
effective amount of desensitizing coating of wax remaining on the
particles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Surplus projectiles present a unique problem to the US
military. The US military must prioritize its spending to
effectively defend the interests of the United States in this
current period of tight budget constraints. Maintaining aging and
surplus projectiles tightens defense budgets because it requires
expenditures for security and storage facilities. Further, the US
military must regularly destroy a significant amount of projectiles
that are surplus, that have deteriorated, or that are obsolete.
[0004] In the past, projectile stocks have been disposed of by such
methods as dumping them in the ocean, or by open burn/open
detonation (OB/OD) methods. Although such methods effectively
destroy projectiles, they fail to meet the challenge of minimizing
waste by-products in a cost-effective manner. Further, such methods
of disposal are undesirable from an environmental point of view
because they contribute to contamination of the oceans and/or to
the pollution of the atmosphere.
[0005] Projectiles containing wax as a desensitizing agent are
presently in need of demilitarization. These projectiles are
typically press-loaded projectiles containing a class of energetic
material known as Composition A which is a highly brisant energetic
formulation composed of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) and
desensitizing wax. Composition A began to replace Explosive D
(ammonium picrate) in the 1940s as the preferred energetic fill for
U.S. Navy projectiles. The two most common Composition A
formulations are Composition A-3 and Composition A-5. The variation
in Composition A formulations arises from differences in the amount
and composition of the desensitizing wax. In addition, some
projectiles were filled with an aluminized version of Composition A
in which powdered aluminum was added to the Composition A before
press loading into a projectile. The Composition A projectile is
fuzed in a variety of configurations in which each projectile can
receive up to three fuzes--a base fuze threaded into the base of
the projectile, a nose fuze threaded into the nose of the
projectile, and an auxiliary detonating fuze located inside the
projectile behind the nose fuze.
[0006] One of the most common formulations, Composition A-3, is
prepared by adding melted wax, usually beeswax, and a surfactant to
energetic crystals in hot water. The solution is mixed and passed
through rollers and dried to form wax coated particles. The
resulting composite particles were typically comprised of about 91
wt % energetic component and about 9 wt % wax. The particles are
then press loaded into projectile casings (shells). The wax coating
protects the energetic crystals from the intense point stresses and
friction experienced during manufacturing, handling, and launch
thus preventing premature detonation. A conventional method for
demilitarizing wax desensitized projectiles was to use hot water to
melt the wax with the expectation that the energetic crystals would
settle out. Unfortunately, the degree of recovery of energetic fell
substantially short of expectations. In addition, such technology
cannot be used with aluminum containing projectiles, nor can it be
applied to projectiles made with high melting point waxes (m.p.
>100.degree. C.). Another method involved the removal of the wax
desensitized energetic material followed by dissolving the wax away
from the energetic particles. Such a method could be problematic
because it can lead to removing too much wax from the energetic
particles, thus resulting in unstable sensitized energetic
particles.
[0007] Thus, there is a need in the demilitarization art for
processes that will meet the goals of resource reuse and recovery
of the energetic component at commercially acceptable yields. The
process of the present invention meets these goals with respect to
the demilitarization of wax desensitized projectiles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a process for demilitarizing a projectile containing a wax
desensitized energetic material comprised of a wax component and an
energetic particulate component, which process comprises:
[0009] a) exposing the wax desensitized energetic material in the
projectile;
[0010] b) removing the wax desensitized energetic material from the
projectile with the use of a fluid jet operated at a pressure from
about 20,000 to about 150,000 psig thereby resulting in wax
desensitized energetic particles having a fraction of the wax
component separated therefrom, but leaving an effective amount of
wax on said energetic material so that the energetic particles
remain desensitized;
[0011] c) collecting the separated wax component; and
[0012] d) collecting the resulting wax desensitized energetic
particles.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment the energetic component is
selected from the group consisting of RDX and HMX.
[0014] In another preferred embodiment the projectile is a military
shell and the fluid of the fluid jet is water.
[0015] In still another preferred embodiment of the present
invention the pressure of the fluid jet is from about 40,000 psi to
about 150,000 psi to wash out the wax sensitized energetic
material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0016] FIG. 1 hereof is a plot of the wax content of the recovered
wax coated energetic material after washout in accordance with the
process of the present invention for experiments 1, 3, 8, 9, 10,
11, 12 and 13 hereof.
[0017] FIG. 2 hereof are plots of the cumulative mass fraction
undersize versus size in microns for the recovered wax coated
energetic material after washout for experiments 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and
7 hereof.
[0018] FIG. 3 hereof are plots of the initial concentration and
final concentration in ppm of RDX and HMX in the washout water for
the experiments herein plus an additional 60 experiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Projectiles that are the subject of this invention are wax
desensitized projectiles. That is, projectiles that contain a major
amount of energetic particles and a minor amount of wax to
desensitize the energetic particles. The wax bonds and coats the
energetic particle, thereby protecting them from the intense point
stresses and friction experienced during manufacturing, handling,
and launch. This prevents premature detonation. The wax can be any
naturally occurring or synthetic wax that is suitable for use in
projectiles. Waxes are typically referred to as "synthetic" if they
are fractionally distilled from petroleum and in specific portions
reblended. Natural waxes are waxes derived from animal, insect,
mineral/petroleum, and vegetable sources. Non-limiting examples of
waxes that are suitable for being recovered in the process of the
present invention include: insect and animal waxes, preferably
beeswax, Chinese insect wax, wool wax, and spermaceti; vegetable
waxes, such as candelilla, carnauba, candelilla, Japan wax,
ouricury wax, rice-bran wax, jocoba, castor wax, and bayberry wax;
mineral waxes, such as montan wax, peat wax, ozokerite and ceresin
waxes; petroleum waxes, such as paraffin and microcrystalline
waxes; and synthetic waxes, such as polyethylene waxes, and
mixtures thereof. The most preferred wax is beeswax since there is
a substantial stockpile of projectiles that contain beeswax as a
desensitizing agent.
[0020] In order to demilitarize projectiles containing wax
desensitized energetic particles, under modern demilitarization
requirements, all components of the projectiles need to be
recovered. Prior art attempts to recover the wax component from the
energetic component involved the use of hot water to melt the wax
with the expectation that the energetic component would merely
settle out. Surfactants were some times added to improve the
separation of the explosive from the water/wax phase, but the
degree of separation was far less than desirable and not
commercially feasible. The present invention is capable of
overcoming these shortcomings.
[0021] Non-limiting examples of energetics that can be used in wax
desensitized projectiles include: cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine
(RDX); cyclotetromethylene tetranitramine (HMX);
2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNT); Amatol (Ammonium
Nitrate/TNT); Cyclotol (RDX/TNT); Octol (HMX/TNT); and any of the
preceeding combined with aluminum particles (Al). Preferred are
RDX, TNT, and HMX.
[0022] Non-limiting examples of standard military energetics
containing waxes are: Composition B and B-5 (RDX/TNT); Torpex 2 and
Torpex D-1 (RDX/TNT/Al); HBX, HBX-1, and HNX-3 (RDX/TNT/Al); H-6
(RDX/TNT/Al); Composition A-3, A-5, A-6, A-7 (RDX).
[0023] In order to demilitarize the projectile containing the
Composition A material, the projectile casing must be opened to
expose the energetic material. Typically, projectiles containing
Composition A material have a threaded fuze at their base or nose
which can be safely removed, such as by specialized equipment. In
the event that a fuze component cannot be safely removed, by
unthreading, any suitable technique can be used to expose the
energetic material. For example, the energetic material can be
exposed by cutting open the shell using any appropriate cutting
method known in the art. One preferred cutting method is the use of
an abrasive fluid jet. One method is to cut projectile casing
across its longitudinal axis at a point that would expose
substantially all of the wax desensitized energetic for removal.
That is, the fuze end of the casing. The wax desensitized energetic
material can also be exposed by removing the fuse, or fill plug, of
the casing, thereby exposing the wax desensitized material.
[0024] Another method, which is preferred, is to simultaneously
remove the fuze from a plurality of projectiles by use of a
plurality of fluid jets. A material handling system moves live
projectiles through the demilitarization process. Such a system is
preferably comprised of a conveyor system such that one end is
located in an area where live projectiles can be loaded onto the
conveyor. The conveyor has carriers fitted onto it such that each
carrier can hold a plurality, preferably a maximum of 4
projectiles. The carriers are also fitted with 4 inserts
specifically sized to hold a given type of projectile. The
projectile is placed in the insert on the carrier in one of the two
vertical positions. If the base fuse is manually unthreaded from
the projectile or requires cutting, it will be loaded with the nose
up so that the high-pressure fluid jet can cut or wash out the
projectile. If the nose fuze is manually unthreaded from the
projectile, it will be loaded in the nose down position.
Orientation of the projectile requires the end placed upward to be
closed so that washout can be accomplished without material issuing
from the top of the projectile.
[0025] The projectiles can be moved to fuze cut-out stage. The
projectiles are positioned so that the surface of each projectile
containing a fuze opposes a fluid jet nozzle that is positioned to
direct a jet of high-pressure fluid in a predetermined path around
the perimeter of the fuze. It is preferred that the path be a
closed path since the fuze will typically have a circular shape.
The projectiles can be made to rotate so that the jet of fluid from
the nozzles are directed in the predetermined path around the
outside perimeter of the fuze. Alternatively, the nozzles can be
made to rotate to track the same predetermined path around the
perimeter of the fuze. It is within the scope of the present
invention that both the projectiles and the nozzles rotate. It is
preferred that the projectiles be rotated and that the fluid jet
apparatus, such as a wand containing the nozzle, be substantially
rotationally static and moves only longitudinally to the body of
the projectile. The fluid jet will be of sufficient pressure to
cause cutting of the projectile casing. The cutting of the
projectile casings to remove the fuzes may be done by either of two
procedures. For example, in one procedure the cutting can be
conducted gradually along the cutting path around the perimeter of
the fuze by making multiple passes along the cutting path until the
fluid jet cuts through the casing and the fuze is isolated and
washed free of the casing by the cutting fluid. During this
procedure, the depth of the cut during each pass along the cutting
path increases gradually so that piercing, or cutting entirely
through, the casing is a gradual process. This procedure is
preferred when it is only desired to remove the fuze and not to
immediately remove the energetic material from the projectile.
Alternatively, in another procedure, the pressure of the fluid jet
can be substantially increased so that the base of the projectile
is pierced and the high pressure fluid jet is directed along the
cutting path only once while cutting entirely though the base of
the casing during its travel around the perimeter of the fuze. This
procedure has the advantage of removing the fuze of the projectiles
while simultaneously removing at least a portion of the energetic
material. The operating pressure of the fluid jets will be from
about 20,000 to about 150,000 psig, preferably from about 40,000 to
about 150,000 psig.
[0026] The fluid will preferably contain an abrasive material to
enhance cutting. Non-limiting examples of abrasive materials that
are suitable for use in the present invention include glass,
silica, alumina, silicon carbide, garnet, as well as elemental
metal and metal alloy slags and grits. The preferred abrasive
material is garnet. It is preferred that the abrasive either have
sharp edges or that it be capable of fracturing into pieces having
sharp cutting edges, such as for example, octahedron or
dodecahedron shaped particles. The size of the abrasive particles
may be any suitable effective size. By effective size, is meant a
size that will be effective for cutting the metal shell casing
(typically a metal alloy, such as steel) and which is effective for
forming a substantially homogeneous mixture with the fluid carrier.
Useful particle sizes of abrasive material range from about 3 mm to
55 microns, preferably from about 15 mm to 105 microns, and most
preferably from about 125 microns to about 250 microns. Generally,
the most preferred abrasives have been found to be garnets and
aluminum-based materials having a particle size from about 125
microns mesh to about 250 microns.
[0027] The concentration of the abrasive within the fluid will
range in slurry fluid jet systems from about 1 to about 50 wt. %,
preferably from about 10 to 40 wt. %, and most preferably from
about 25 to 35 wt. %. For entrained fluid jet systems, the amount
of abrasive will generally comprise about 5 wt. % to 30 wt. %,
preferably from about 10 wt. % to about 25 wt. % of total fluid
plus abrasive, depending on the diameter of the orifice of the
nozzle. Increasing the concentration of an abrasive, generally, has
a tendency to increase the cutting efficacy of the fluid jet.
[0028] The fluid of the fluid jet can be any suitable composition
that is normally a liquid. By "normally liquid" we mean that it
will be in the liquid state at substantially atmospheric
temperatures and pressures. For example, it can be water or an
organic solvent, in which at least a portion of the energetic or
wax component is at least partially soluble. In one preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the fluid used to cut out the
fuze(s) is water, plus an abrasive, and the fluid used to washout,
or cut out, the energetic material from the projectile is also
water. It is preferred that the fluid be nontoxic so as to maintain
the environmental usefulness of the cutting/demilitarization
process. Non-limiting examples of organic solvents suitable for use
in the practice of the present invention include: alkyl alcohols,
alkyl ketones, alkyl nitriles, nitroalkanes, and halo-alkanes. More
particularly, the alkyl group of the organic solvent may be
branched, cyclic, or straight chain of from about 3 to 20 carbons.
Examples of such alkyl groups include octyl, dodecyl, propyl,
pentyl, hexyl, cyclohexyl, and the like. Methanol and ethanol are
the preferred alcohols. The alcohols may also contain such alkyl
groups. Non-limiting examples of ketones include acetone,
cyclohexanone, propanone, and the like. Non-limiting examples of
nitro compounds that can used as the carrier for the fluid jet in
the practice of the present invention are acetonitrile,
propylnitrile, octylnitrile, and the like. Non-limiting examples of
halogenated alkanes include methylene chloride, chloroform,
tetrahaloethylene and perhaloethane, and the like. Preferably,
aqueous and aqueous/organic mixtures are used as the fluid which
are more preferably nontoxic and cost effective, given the
compatibility with the explosive material to be removed. Such more
preferred fluids include, propylene and ethylene glycol, fuel oil
compositions such as gasoline and diesel oil, water, short chain
alkyl alcohols, mineral oil, glycerine, and mixtures thereof. Water
is the most preferred.
[0029] The wax desensitized energetic material can also be removed
from the projectile by use of fluid jet washout technology at
pressures that are effective to erode, or comminute, the wax
desensitized energetic material. The preferred type of fluid jet
washout equipment which can be used in the practice of the present
invention is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,709 which is
incorporated herein by reference. It is preferred that the fluid
jet washout step of the present invention be able to achieve a
5.times. cleanliness that is required by Army Material Command
Regulation 385-5 for energetics and Army Material Command
Regulation 385-61 for chemical weapons. The operating pressure of
the fluid jets will be from about 20,000 to 150,000 psi, preferably
from about 40,000 to 150,000 psi. The preferred range of pressures
can be used provided that the diameter of the washout stream is in
the range of about 0.001 inch to about 0.02 inch.
[0030] There are a variety of Composition A formulations. The
earliest type was comprised of RDX and beeswax. Later formulations
replaced beeswax with synthetic waxes along with the addition of
additives such as surfactants. It is preferred to prevent the
formation of emulsions in which the non-RDX portion of the
formulation blends with the fluid to form an emulsion. Although
formation of emulsions may not be necessarily bad, avoiding their
formation is beneficial. The addition of a surface-tension
modifying material, such as an alcohol, to the high-pressure
washout fluid can mitigate emulsion formation during washout.
[0031] If emulsions form in the process of washing out a
projectile, they can be handled by carefully controlling the
temperature of the emulsion. During the washout process, the
maximum temperature that can be generated is dictated
thermodynamically and termed stagnation temperature in which a
fluid jet impinges on a surface, decelerates, and converts PV work
into heat. The temperature rise for an 800 m/s waterjet is
approximately 75.degree. C. As a result, the washout fluid and
removed energetic material will be heated as it is removed from the
projectile. The careful monitoring of the washout material
temperature and subsequent handling/cooling is critical.
[0032] If base fuzes are removed via high-pressure abrasive fluid
jet cutting, the collected spent abrasive, swarf, and water is
preferably separated as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,225,716, which
is incorporated herein by reference. Since the RDX component of
Composition A is substantially insoluble in water (.about.100 ppm
at room temperature), the recovered water can be recycled to the
high pressure pump provided substantially all insolubles are
removed. This is acceptable even though the water may be saturated
with RDX because the increase in pressure in the pump increases the
solubility of RDX i.e. RDX will not precipitate.
[0033] It is within the scope of the present invention that the
washout fluid be chilled to a temperature below the melting point
of the wax component of the wax desensitized energetic material. If
chilled, it is preferred that it be at a temperature from about 40
to 60.degree. F., more preferably to a temperature from about 50 to
60.degree. F.
[0034] It is important to note that the energetic material is
removed from the projectile as a solid that is fractured from the
energetic fill. It is preferred to remove the material from the
projectile by leaving the RDX/wax coating intact thus minimizing
the amount of wax liberated from the RDX and hence minimize the
chances of emulsion formation. Nonetheless, the washed out material
along with the fluid (water or water with an additive) must be
collected and separated. It is desired to dewet the solid material
so that it can be packaged for use in commercial energetic markets.
The washed out material will be collected in a sump and educted to
the downstream separation equipment. Heat transfer equipment can be
integrated into the collection equipment to quickly cool the washed
out material.
[0035] Once the washed out material is moved from the washout
process, a variety of equipment types can be used to dewet, or dry,
the solid material. This equipment may include clarifier/augers,
screen filters, and dryers if the moisture content is critical for
commercial uses. This separation process will most likely be
continuous. The water can be recycled back to the high pressure
pump, preferably without the need for further treatment. However,
if the levels of energetic component must be reduced, or if the wax
content/additive content is too high, additional equipment such as
adsorption units or particulate filters can be used. One processing
option that may be required is the addition of wax to the washed
out wax desensitized energetic material. This will be required if
it is determined that too much of the wax was removed from the
energetic particles during the washout to meet commercial market
specifications and desired shipping classifications.
[0036] Empty projectiles can be inspected as they are removed from
the conveyor. This operation has traditionally been done via 100%
human inspection. An automated vision system with cameras and
machine vision technology can replace the human inspection process.
In addition, robots could be used to load and unload projectiles
into the system eliminating the need for human interface for these
operations also. All of the camera/machine vision can be integrated
into the logic control system. This integration would lead to more
efficient operations and improve safety since humans are removed
from operations involving the handling and verification of
energetic materials.
[0037] If the fluid used for the fluid jet is water, the washed out
wax desensitized energetic material, which is now in particulate
form, is dried by conventional drying. It is within the scope of
this invention that the dried resulting wax energetic material be
treated with a solvent to remove at least an additional portion of
the wax. It is also within the scope of this invention to combine
the steps of removal of the wax desensitized energetic material and
solubilizing the wax. For example, a fluid jet can be used to
remove the material from the shell, and the fluid can be a solvent
with respect to the wax.
[0038] The present is better illustrated by the following examples
that are not to be taken as limiting in any way.
EXAMPLES
[0039] Each of 13 experiments was conducted by washing out a US
Navy 5''projectile that was loaded with Composition A-3. Each
experiment consisted of placing the projectile nose down in a
station fitted with a high-pressure washout nozzle that could be
raised and lowered into and out of the projectile. The projectile
was placed nose down since the nose fuze was previously removed and
hence acted as an entry point for the high-pressure washout nozzle.
Next, the projectile was rotated at 20 rpm and the high-pressure
water flow through the washout nozzle was turned on. After turning
on the water, the washout nozzle was raised at a constant rate to
within a few inches of the base of the projectile and then
retracted all the way down. The washout water and energetic fill
removed from the projectile was collected and separated. A sample
of the energetic fill was dried and a 200 gram portion of the dried
sample was sifted using a set of U.S. Sieves per MIL-C-440C and a 1
gram sample was analyzed to determine the wax content
gravimetrically by dissolving the wax in naphtha and weighing the
remaining RDX/HMX per MIL-C-440C. The washout water separated from
the energetic fill was lastly processed through an activated carbon
bed to remove the solubilized RDX and HMX.
[0040] For each of the 13 experiments, there were four important
parameters that could be varied. These were the water pressure,
water flow rate, the washout nozzle lift rate into the projectile,
and the washout wand retract rate out of the projectile. The
following Table 1, summarizes these values for each experiment.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Water Water Washout Nozzle Washout Nozzle
Pressure Flow Lift Rate Lift Retract Experiment (psi) (gpm)
(inches/min) (inches/min) 1 52,000 0.96 1 3 2 52,000 0.96 2 3 3
40,000 1.69 2 3 4 42,000 0.86 1 3 5 42,000 0.86 2 3 6 42,000 0.86 1
3 7 42,000 0.86 2 4 8 35,000 0.39 1 3 9 55,000 0.99 3.5 3.5 10
55,000 0.49 2 3 11 55,000 0.49 4 4 12 56,000 0.50 2 1 13 54,000
0.49 2.5 2.5
[0041] The data obtained from these experiments are presented in
the plots of FIGS. 1 to 3 hereof. The plots of FIG. 1 hereof show
the wax content of the recovered energetic material from 8
different Composition A-3 filled projectiles that were washed out
with high-pressure water. The plot shows that all of the recovered
energetic, after washout, still had a wax content within the 8-10%
range that the original material had when it was loaded into the
projectiles, per mil-spec MIL-C-440C. Mil-spec refers to United
States Military Standards or Specifications. In other words, the
recovered material still meets the wax content specification that
the virgin material had to meet when it was originally loaded and
conforms we are not removing a significant amount of wax during the
washout process.
[0042] The plots of FIG. 2 hereof show the particle size
distribution of Composition A-3 from 6 different projectiles after
being washed out with high-pressure water. These plots shows that a
narrow particle size distribution is generated ranging from 200 to
400 microns. This particle size distribution also meets the
original mil-spec MIL-C-440C which states that 100% of the material
needs to pass through U.S. Sieve #6 (3350 microns) and a maximum of
5% can pass through U.S. Sieve #100 (152 microns).
[0043] The plots of FIG. 3 hereof show the treatment of the washout
water that is contaminated with RDX and HMX. The washout water was
from these 13 experiments plus an additional 60 experiments,
thereby providing a higher concentration of RDX and HMX in the
washout water. The initial concentration of the RDX in the water
ranges between 40 and 85 ppm which depends upon temperature and
agrees with the solubility in water. The initial concentration of
HMX ranges from 5 to 10 ppm which also depends upon temperature and
agrees with the solubility in water. The final concentration of
both species in the water as it leaves a carbon adsorption bed is
zero until about 700 gallons of water was treated. At this point
the RDX and HMX broke through the bed and rose as the carbon bed
became saturated. This profile is common for carbon adsorption
systems and shows that carbon can be used to treat the washout
water.
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