Test Plan for Development and Demonstration of Hot Gas Decontamination for Explosives at Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant.
Abstract
Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant (HWAAP) covers some 246,000 acres of land situated in Mineral County approximately 135 miles southeast of Reno, Nevada, along U.S. Route 95. HWAAP was originally constructed in 1929 as a U.S. Navy Ammunition Depot (NAD). The Western Area Demilitarization Facility (WADF) was constructed by the Navy from 1975 to 1977 to dispose of Naval munitions in a controlled manner. The U.S. Army continued the Navy's munitions demilitarization program and assumed control of Hawthorne in October 1977 and changed the name to Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant. The WADF conducts a process of reverse assembly of the munitions followed by steam, autoclave, mechanical, or washout removal of explosive charges. Reclaimed explosives can, at least theoretically, be recycled, or employed in less demanding applications such as demolitions or as donor explosives for safe disposal of unexploded ordinance. Small metal parts are decontaminated by furnace flashing. Large items could be decontaminated in Building 11 7-1 5. This flashing chamber was originally designed and constructed to provide for flashing large items. The parts are then released as scrap metal. An enclosed flashing chamber was constructed at WADF for the purpose of decontaminating items by flashing them with surplus propellant powder.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA315474
Entities
People
- C. W. Brown
- J R Watson
- J. J. Hoagland
- M. C. Crim
- W. J. Rogers
Organizations
- Tennessee Valley Authority