Reformulation/Reuse of Explosives, Propellants and Pyrotechnics for Commercial Applications

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) faces many environmental issues and concerns in the demilitarization and disposal of obsolete, execs and unserviceable munition items. Removal technology has already been demonstrated for the majority of explosive and propellant loaded items but the reclaimed energetic material is being destroyed by OB/OD or other destruction technologies. Increased concern for the protection of the environment has mandated that DoD must pursue improved methods of munitions demilitarization while maximizing ingredient recovery. For the past few years, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NAVSURFWARCENDIV), Crane, Indiana has concentrated on reclaiming the valuable energetics with subsequent reformulating for commercial applications.