Recovery of the energetic component from plastic bonded explosives

Abstract

A process for recovering the energetic component from plastic bonded explosives. The process uses high velocity kinetic energy in the form of gases, liquids, or soilds, alone or in combination, to cause the structural failure of the adhesive bonding between the polymer matrix and energetic component for the purpose of providing adequate loci for the solvation of the energetic component by appropriate solvents.

1 . A process for recovering the energetic component from a plastic bonded explosive comprised of an energetic component in a polymer matrix component, which process comprising: 
 a) comminuting said plastic bonded explosive by contacting said plastic bonded explosive with a high pressure jet of comminuting agent of an effective energy to cause said plastic bonded explosive to be comminuted into particles of sufficiently small size to expose said energetic component;    b) contacting the plastic bonded explosive particles with a solvent in which the energetic component is soluble and in which the polymer matrix component is substantially insoluble, thereby forming a solution of energetic component in solvent and solid particles of polymer matrix component; and    c) separating the energetic component solvent solution from the solid particles of polymer matrix component.    
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the comminuting agent is water.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the comminuting agent is an organic solvent.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of C 5  to C 9  aliphatic hydrocarbons, preferably octane and hexane; naphtha; ketones, such as cyclohexanone and acetone; aromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene and xylene; alcohols, such as ethanol and butanol; glycols, such as ethylene and propylene glycol; esters, such as ethyl acetate and n-butyl acetate.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 4  wherein the comminuting agent is acetone.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the comminuting agent is a normally gaseous material in liquid form, which normally gaseous material is selected from the group consisting of propane, butane, and carbon dioxide.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 1  the energetic component is selected from the group consisting of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, cyclotetromethylene tetranitramine, hexanitrostilbene, 2,2-bis[(nitroxy) methyl]-1,3-propanediol dinitrate, ammonium perchlorate, 2,4,6 trinitro-1,3 benzenediamine, ammonium picrate, nitrocellulose, nitroguanidine, 4,5-trinitrophenol, hexahydro-1,3,5-benzenetriamine, N-methyl N-2,4,6 tetranitrobenzene, 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, a mixture of ammonium nitrate and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene; a mixture of Ba(NO 3 ) 2  and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, black powder (KNO 3 /S/C), Composition B, Composition C, a mixture of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, LOVA propellant, NACO propellant, and Octol.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the energetic component is selected from the group consisting of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, cyclotetromethylene tetranitramine, hexanitrostilbene, and 2,2-bis[(nitroxy) methyl]-1,3-propanediol dinitrate.  
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 8  wherein the energetic component is cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine.  
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 9  wherein the solvent is acetone.  
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the particle size of the comminuted particles is from about 0.25 inches to 250 microns.  
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 11  wherein the particle size of the comminuted particles is from about 50 microns to about 250 microns.  
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the pressure of the high pressure jet is from about 20,000 psi to about 150,000 psi.  
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 13  wherein the pressure of the high pressure jet is from about 40,000 psi to about 150,000 psi.  
   
   
       15 . A process for recovering the energetic component from a plastic bonded explosive comprised of an energetic component in a polymer matrix component, which process comprising: 
 a) comminuting said plastic bonded explosive by contacting said plastic bonded explosive with a high pressure jet of water of an effective energy to cause said plastic bonded explosive to be comminuted into particles having an average particle size of about 0.25 inches to about 250 microns to expose said energetic component, which energetic component is cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine;    b) contacting the plastic bonded explosive particles with acetone thereby resulting in a solution of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine in acetone and leaving particles of said polymer matrix which are substantially not soluble in acetone; and    c) separating the cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine in acetone solution from the particles of polymer matrix.    
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 15  wherein the pressure of the high pressure jet is from about 20,000 psi to about 150,000 psi.  
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 16  wherein the pressure of the high pressure jet is from about 40,000 psi to about 150,000 psi.  
   
   
       18 . A process for separating the components of a plastic bonded explosive comprised of a polymer matrix component, an aluminum powder component, and an energetic component, which process comprises: 
 a) comminuting said plastic bonded explosive by contacting said plastic bonded explosive with a jet of comminuting agent of an effective energy to cause said plastic bonded explosive to be comminuted into particles of sufficiently small size to effectively expose said energetic component and to free the aluminum powder particles from the polymer matrix component;    b) separating said aluminum powder particles from the polymer matrix component and the energetic component;    c) contacting said polymer matrix component and energetic component with a solvent in which the energetic component is soluble but in which the polymer matrix component is substantially insoluble, thereby dissolving the energetic component in the solvent; and    d) separating the energetic component solvent solution from the solid particles of polymer matrix component.    
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the comminuting agent is water.  
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the comminuting agent is an organic solvent.  
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of C 5  to C 9 aliphatic hydrocarbons, preferably octane and hexane; naphtha; ketones, such as cyclohexanone and acetone; aromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene and xylene; alcohols, such as ethanol and butanol; glycols, such as ethylene and propylene glycol; esters, such as ethyl acetate and n-butyl acetate.  
   
   
       22 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the comminuting agent is acetone.  
   
   
       23 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the comminuting agent is a normally gaseous material in liquid form, which normally gaseous material is selected from the group consisting of propane, butane, and carbon dioxide.  
   
   
       24 . The process of  claim 18  the energetic component is selected from the group consisting of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, cyclotetromethylene tetranitramine, hexanitrostilbene, 2,2-bis[(nitroxy) methyl]-1,3-propanediol dinitrate, ammonium perchlorate, 2,4,6 trinitro-1,3 benzenediamine, ammonium picrate, nitrocellulose, nitroguanidine, 4,5-trinitrophenol, hexahydro-1,3,5-benzenetriamine, N-methyl N-2,4,6 tetranitrobenzene, 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, a mixture of ammonium nitrate and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene; a mixture of Ba(NO 3 ) 2  and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, black powder (KNO 3 /S/C), Composition B, Composition C, a mixture of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, LOVA propellant, NACO propellant, and Octol.  
   
   
       25 . The process of  claim 24  wherein the energetic component is selected from the group consisting of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, cyclotetromethylene tetranitramine, hexanitrostilbene, and 2,2-bis[(nitroxy) methyl]-1,3-propanediol dinitrate.  
   
   
       26 . The process of  claim 25  wherein the energetic component is cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine.  
   
   
       27 . The process of  claim 26  wherein the solvent is acetone.  
   
   
       28 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the particle size of the comminuted particles is from about 0.25 inches to 250 microns.  
   
   
       29 . The process of  claim 28  wherein the particle size of the comminuted particles is from about 50 microns to about 250 microns.  
   
   
       30 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the pressure of the high pressure jet is from about 20,000 psi to about 150,000 psi.  
   
   
       31 . The process of  claim 30  wherein the pressure of the high pressure jet is from about 40,000 psi to about 150,000 psi.  
   
   
       32 . A process for removing a plastic bonded explosive comprised of an energetic component and a polymer matrix from a munition and separately recovering the components, which process comprising: 
 a) cutting open said munition by use of a high pressure fluid jet to expose the plastic bonded explosive;    b) comminuting said plastic bonded explosive by contacting said plastic bonded explosive with a high pressure jet of comminuting agent of an effective energy to cause said plastic bonded explosive to comminute into particles of sufficiently small size to expose said energetic component from the polymer component;    c) contacting the plastic bonded explosive particles with a solvent in which the energetic component is soluble and in which the polymer matrix component is substantially insoluble, thereby forming a solution of energetic component in solvent and solid particles of polymer matrix component; and    d) separating the energetic component solvent solution from the solid particles of polymer matrix component.    
   
   
       33 . The process of  claim 32  wherein the comminuting agent is selected from water and an organic solvent.  
   
   
       34 . The process of  claim 32  wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of C 5  to C 9 aliphatic hydrocarbons, preferably octane and hexane; naphtha; ketones, such as cyclohexanone and acetone; aromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene and xylene; alcohols, such as ethanol and butanol; glycols, such as ethylene and propylene glycol; esters, such as ethyl acetate and n-butyl acetate.  
   
   
       35 . The process of  claim 34  wherein the comminuting agent is acetone.  
   
   
       36 . The process of  claim 34  the energetic component is selected from the group consisting of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, cyclotetromethylene tetranitramine, hexanitrostilbene, 2,2-bis[(nitroxy) methyl]-1,3-propanediol dinitrate, ammonium perchlorate, 2,4,6 trinitro-1,3 benzenediamine, ammonium picrate, nitrocellulose, nitroguanidine, 4,5-trinitrophenol, hexahydro-1,3,5-benzenetriamine, N-methyl N-2,4,6 tetranitrobenzene, 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, a mixture of ammonium nitrate and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene; a mixture of Ba(NO 3 ) 2  and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, black powder (KNO 3 /S/C), Composition B, Composition C, a mixture of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, LOVA propellant, NACO propellant, and Octol.  
   
   
       37 . The process of  claim 36  wherein the energetic component is selected from the group consisting of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, cyclotetromethylene tetranitramine, hexanitrostilbene, and 2,2-bis[(nitroxy) methyl]-1,3-propanediol dinitrate.  
   
   
       38 . The process of  claim 37  wherein the energetic component is cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine.  
   
   
       39 . The process of  claim 32  wherein the particle size of the comminuted particles is from about 0.25 inches to 250 microns.  
   
   
       40 . The process of  claim 32  wherein the pressure of the high pressure jet is from about 20,000 psi to about 150,000 psi.  
   
   
       41 . The process of  claim 32  wherein there the plastic bonded explosive also contains an aluminum powder component that is freed during comminuting the plastic bonded explosive with the high pressure jet of comminuting agent.