Cryocycling of energetic materials. Final report

Abstract

The Cryocycling of Energetic Materials Project was executed in the period FY'94-96 as a Life Cycle Engineering activity in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on advanced conventional munitions. This MOU is an agreement between the Departments of Energy and Defense (Office of Munitions) that facilitates the development of technologies of mutual interest to the two Departments. The cryocycling process is a safe, environmentally friendly, and cost effective means of rubblizing bulk energetic materials so that they can be easily reused in a variety of new products. For this reason, cryocycling of excess solid energetic materials is one of the recycle/reuse strategies under study for demilitarized munitions in the Departments of Energy and Defense. These strategies seek to minimize the environmental damage associated with disposal of decommissioned energetic materials. In addition, they encourage technologies that can be used to derive economic benefit from reuse/reapplication of materials that would otherwise be treated as hazardous wastes.