Hydrothermolysis of Energetic Materials: Safety and Continuous Process Parameters

摘要

SRI conducted a study on the hydrothermolytic disposal of energetic materials (EMs) using a continuous flow reactor which was designed, assembled and tested in studies of the hydrothermolysis of ammonium picrate at 360 deg C. The dissolution study showed that the TNT solubility in water increased by a factor of about 200 from 25 deg C to 200 deg C. The literature shows that the solubility of benzene in water increases by a factor of about 50 over the same interval and benzene becomes completely soluble at about 300 deg C. Therefore, the complete dissolution of TNT in water at temperatures no greater than 300 deg C. Calculations of the critical radii for explosion were made for TNT, HMS, and PETN at 200-350 deg C based on relations for kinetics of self heating. TNT has a critical radius of 0.019 cm at 350 deg C, meaning that spherical particles exceeding this radius will self heat to explosion at 350 deg C.