Anaerobic Digestion and Acid Hydrolysis of Nitrocellulose

Abstract

In military applications, nitrocellulose (NC) based powders are extensively used as propellant in bullets, shells, and various missiles for tube munitions. Residual NC produced during the manufacturing process is composed of insoluble fibers, or 'fines' in suspension. Currently, these suspended solids are recovered and reused. However, since the Army expects to terminate the re-use of pit cotton in the near future, there is a need to develop innovative NC treatment and disposal technologies. This study evaluated and demonstrated the potential for the use of acid hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion to treat munitions-grade nitrocellulose. As an alternative treatment, the concept of acid hydrolysis was developed and validated with bench scale tests. NC was hydrolyzed with high strength hydrochloric acid and was converted to glucose. The degradative intermediate and end products were identified and a kinetic model was validated.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA369787

Entities

People

  • Byung-joon Kim
  • Fong-jung Tai
  • Hsin-neng Hsieh

Organizations

  • Construction Engineering Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arrhenius Equation
  • Chemical Reactants
  • Chemical Reaction Properties
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Dielectric Gases
  • Fungi
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Science
  • Materials Testing
  • Nitrogen Oxides
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Sodium Compounds
  • Waste Products

Readers

  • Agricultural Chemistry/Soil Science
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Environmental Engineering.