Assessment of technologies for disposing explosive waste

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• Decommissioned ammunition poses significant environmental and safety challenges.
• Traditional disposal methods like open burning and open detonation (OB/OD) result in substantial air pollution and risks.
• There is a need for safer and more environmentally sound ammunition disposal technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the environmental impact and safety of six ammunition disposal techniques.
• To identify the optimal technology for minimizing environmental impact and risk.
• To propose a framework for comparing air pollutant emissions from different disposal methods.

Main Methods:

• Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was employed to evaluate six disposal techniques: open burning/open detonation (OB/OD), closed detonation (CD), fluidised bed combustion (FBC), rotary kiln (RK) incineration, and mobile furnace (MF) incineration.
• A framework for assessing and comparing air pollutant emissions was developed.
• Environmental impacts, particularly air pollutants, were analyzed for each method.

Main Results:

• Controlled incineration techniques, especially when combined with high-pressure water washout, can drastically reduce the environmental impacts of traditional OB and OD.
• This combined approach allows for the separation of explosive contents from casings.
• Explosives are transformed into a desensitized water-based slurry, enhancing safety and reducing environmental hazards.

Conclusions:

• Controlled incineration with water washout presents a significantly improved method for ammunition disposal compared to OB/OD.
• This integrated approach offers a viable solution for minimizing the environmental footprint and safety risks associated with decommissioned ordnance.
• Further adoption of these advanced techniques is recommended for sustainable ammunition management.