Microwave system for small-scale treatment of rocket propellant laboratory derived waste

ABSTRACT: During normal course of research, development, and testing by AFRL at EAFB, small quantities of environmentally hazardous propellant, explosive, and pyrotechnic (PEP) wastes are produced. The objective of this SBIR Phase II project is to construct and field-demonstrate a prototype capable of destroying 30 pounds per month of PEP waste at AFRL Propellant Research Laboratory. After the successful field-testing, this prototype can be installed at EAFB to destroy all PEP wastes produced by AFRL. CHA Microwave Energetic Laboratory waste Disposal System (MELDS) destroys small quantities of PEP waste on-site at military, industrial and university laboratories. The system was designed to destroy both liquid and solid slurry wastes and contaminated laboratory supplies and to operate in research laboratories whenever small quantities of PEPs are generated. During Phase I work a complete destruction of hydrazines, nitroaromatics, and perchlorates in solution was experimentally demonstrated with no hazardous air or water emissions. Additionally the destruction of contaminated laboratory supplies, such as gloves and paper towels was accomplished without hazardous air emissions. The MELDS is small enough to install inside a laboratory and economically advantageous compared to currently available disposal technologies. The MELDS can also destroy hazardous medical wastes and toxic chemicals on-site as generated. BENEFIT: The proposed microwave disposal system requires less than $158,000 installation footprint. It will treat up to 30 pounds per month environmentally hazardous waste produced by military and other research laboratories, and medical facilities. Operation of this system can reduce the indicated environmentally hazardous waste disposal annualized costs by up to 80%, without creating air and water pollutants.