Alternatives for the Demilitarization of Conventional Munitions /

The U.S. military has a stockpile of approximately 400,000 tons of excess, obsolete or unserviceable munitions. About 60,000 tons are added to the stockpile each year. Munitions include projectiles, bombs, rockets, landmines and missiles. Open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) of these munitions has b...

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Bibliographic Details
Corporate Authors:	National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.). Committee on Alternatives for the Demilitarization of Conventional Munitions, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.). Board on Army Science and Technology, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.). Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Format:	Book
Language:	English
Published:	Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, [2019]
Series:	Consensus study report.
Subjects:	Disarmament > Technological innovations > United States. Military weapons > United States > Management > Evaluation. Ordnance > United States > Management > Evaluation. Hazardous substances > United States > Management > Evaluation.

Description
Summary:	The U.S. military has a stockpile of approximately 400,000 tons of excess, obsolete or unserviceable munitions. About 60,000 tons are added to the stockpile each year. Munitions include projectiles, bombs, rockets, landmines and missiles. Open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) of these munitions has been a common disposal practice for decades, although it has decreased significantly since 2011. OB/OD is relatively quick, procedurally straightforward and inexpensive. However, the downside of OB and OD is that they release contaminants from the operation directly into the environment. Over time, a number of technology alternatives to OB/OD have become available and more are in research and development. Alternative technologies generally involve some type of contained destruction of the energetic materials, including contained burning or contained detonation as well as contained methods that forego combustion or detonation. Alternatives for the Demilitarization of Conventional Munitions reviews the current conventional munitions demilitarization stockpile and analyzes existing and emerging disposal, treatment and reuse technologies. This report identifies and evaluates any barriers to full-scale deployment of alternatives to OB/OD or non-closed loop incineration/combustion, and provides recommendations to overcome such barriers.
Physical Description:	xvi, 115 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 28 cm.
Bibliography:	Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN:	9780309477321 0309477328