Environmental Effects of Tungsten and Tantalum Alloys
Abstract
Report developed under SBIR contract (covers Phase I and Phase II studies). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the testing of tungsten alloy and tantalum penetrator munitions at Test Site C-64 A on Eglin AFB, FL. The tungsten alloys that were investigated in this study contained iron, nickel, cobalt, copper, and/or manganese as alloying elements. Data on physical, chemical, and biological site conditions were obtained from field studies and published reports. These data were used to design and carry out leaching/corrosion studies on the penetrator alloys in the laboratory. The data obtained in the laboratory studies were combined with additional site data to quantify the potential environmental impacts of munitions testing at Site C-64 A through the use of a computer code called the Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS) developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The results obtained from the MEPAS code indicate that the tungsten alloy containing cobalt will have the least impact, while the alloy containing copper would have the greatest impact. The conclusions assume that the deposition rate of metal/alloy on the site is less than or equal to 500 lbs/yr. The calculations further indicate that testing of the tungsten alloy or tantalum penetrator munitions on the C-64 A test site would not pose unacceptable risks to humans or the environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA375795
Entities
People
- Arend Meijer
- Gregory Wroblicky
- Michael W. Marcell
- Sarah Thuring