Degradable and Hydrolyzable Binder Explosives

摘要

High explosives cast in military hardware are generally prepared to meet the demands of rough handling, as well as long-term storage. At some point, however, if the ordnance items that contain them are not detonated as intended, the explosives lose their effectiveness and reliability. Excessive aging, deterioration, or some other unanticipated event will require their safe disposal. Air pollution abatement and environmental control regulations have now imposed constraints on methods of disposal and demilitarization of unserviceable ordnance explosives. An attractive alternative to continued open burning and demolition would be the development of a cast explosive whose main constituents could be degraded and recycled into reusable explosive solids and liquid by-products which are environmentally non-hazardous. Past research and technology work at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., has culminated in the successful development of a castable plastic- bonded explosive composition that has the following desirable characteristics: (1) it is water degradable and leaves no toxic products behind; (2) it contains a binder which hydrolyzes but does not form a highly viscous gel; (3) it contains a binder which does not degrade in the presence of water alone; and (4) it produces an acceptable energy output level as a main charge explosive. This finalized explosive composition, PBXC-125, consists of a simple two- component polyurethane binder system with 82% RDX. On degrading in a dilute ammonia solution, the polymerized binder breaks down to a diol and lysine, respectively-two non-polluting and harmless by-products. The main solids component (RDX) can be filtered, washed, dried, and then recycled, if necessary. The potential for this explosive's safe and rapid demilitarization was also demonstrated in a high-pressure water washout facility.