Preliminary Evaluation of Thermal Systems for Regenerating Explosives-Contaminated Carbon: Safety, Cost, and Technical Feasibility
Abstract
A preliminary evaluation of the thermal regeneration of nitrobody-contaminated carbon is made with special attention to safety, cost, and technical feasibility. A comparison of the multiple-hearth, rotary-kiln, electric-belt-furnace, and fluidized-bed technologies indicates that the rotary kiln and electric belt furnace are more appropriate for nitrobody-contaminated carbon at the current low production rates. Of these two, the electric belt furnace is probably best for Army applications, particularly with regard to safety concerns and cost involved in pilot-scale testing at an Army facility. Cost Estimates for production-scale regeneration and/or treatment at three-Army facilities reveal that the economics strongly depend on the individual plant circumstances and the assumed production rates of contaminated carbon. At lower production rates, thermal treatment and disposal is cheaper than regeneration. For the regeneration cases considered, a fixed, centrally-located regeneration facility appears to be the least expensive alternative.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA206104
Entities
People
- C. S. Daw
- E. C. Fox
- J. M. Young
- M. E. Lackey
- M. J. Taylor
Organizations
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory