Cost-Effective and Safe Methods of Recovering Nitrocellulose from Gun Propellant Formulations

The disposal of obsolete, unserviceable, and excess gun propellant by incineration is not environmentally acceptable and wastes potentially valuable resources. In keeping with the impetus toward resource recovery and reuse (R3), the Army is seeking means of extracting components from their propellant wastes for reprocessing. In Phase I, the feasibility of an innovative process for recovering the main ingredients of triple-base formulations was demonstrated in the laboratory. This information was used to develop a detailed flow sheet and mass balance for the process. The process is inherently safe, environmentally friendly, and economic in that it uses an inexpensive industrial solvent and will generate income from the sale of recovered products. Costs associated with conventional disposal of explosive wastes and the long-term maintenance and liability associated with hazardous waste sites will be eliminated. The main objective of the proposed Phase-II program is to demonstrate the process at the pilot-scale and to evaluate the recovered products for specification compliance. Additional laboratory work and process optimization studies are planned. (P-030481)