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Explosives Disposal
Contact Persons
Tel. +49 - 221 - 37 92-0
Fax +49 - 221 - 37 92-299
General Disassembly Equipment
Unserviceable ammunition is first disassembled into its component parts. After removal of the explosive, the recovered metal parts can be used as valuable metal scrap. The explosives can be either recovered (e.g. TNT, refer to Equipment for Recovery of Explosives) or must be destroyed (refer to Incineration Plants).
For the disassembly of conventional ammunition, of ammunition for chemical warfare agents, and of pyrotechnic mixtures, MEISSNER supplies single machines and also complete plants, which are tailor-made for the special requirements of the customers and the ammunition to be disassembled.
The programme for disassembly includes - among others - the equipment for cutting by high-pressure water jet, unscrewing machines for fuses, equipment for extraction of shells from cartridge cases and for pressing-out fuses. All machines can be operated under safe conditions and monitored by remote control.
Equipment for Cutting/Washing with High-Pressure Water Jet
Explosives, explosives mixtures and inert materials from shells and bombs (e. g. KM82), as well as cast and pressed rocket propellants are preferably removed from shell bodies, bombs or rocket motors by means of a high-pressure water jet. The water required for the washout is conveyed in a closed loop circuit. No waste water contaminated with explosives will occur.
The washed-out explosives are either subjected to a recovery treatment (e.g. TNT, refer to Equipment for Recovery of Explosives) for re-use, e.g. in commercial explosives, or they are transferred to an incineration plant (refer to Incineration Plants) and disposed of in an environmentally compatible way.
MEISSNER supplies tailor-made equipment especially for the washout of explosives and rocket propellant by means of a high pressure water jet for shell calibres up to 203 mm and explosive charges as e. g. bombs and rocket motors.
Equipment for Cutting with High-Pressure Water Jet
Shells, bombs and rocket motors are cut and disassembled not only by applying the traditional sawing technology (refer to General Disassembly Equipment), but preferably by means of a high-pressure water jet with and without addition of abrasives.
MEISSNER supplies equipment provided with this technology for cutting of shells and rocket motors of all sizes.
Equipment for Recovery of Explosives
After removal of the explosive from shells or bombs, the explosive either has to be destroyed or can be recovered for reuse. The most frequently recovered explosive is TNT. Apart from that, high-quality explosives, such as e.g. HMX, are also recovered from their mixtures with TNT.
MEISSNER has developed a technology which allows the direct removal of TNT from TNT-containing ammunition including bombs (up to 500 kg) by washing the TNT out of the shell or bomb with warm water and the direct recovery of TNT in a further process step.
The water needed for the washout is conveyed in a closed loop circuit so that no waste water accumulates during the whole process. The washed out TNT is cleaned, dried and flaked and is thereafter not only suitable for reuse in commercial explosives (dynamites), but also as military explosive in shells, bombs, mines, etc.
The washed-out shells can then be disposed of as scrap without additional cleaning. This plant is also suitable for the recovery of TNT obtained from the washout with the high-pressure water jet. MEISSNER also supplies the equipment for recovery of HMX and RDX from explosives mixtures.
Incineration Plants and Blasting Chambers
Those explosives which, due to economic reasons, are not suitable for recovery, such as for instance mixtures of explosives, wastes from production, detonators, fuses and other initiating devices, pyrotechnic mixtures, propellants, etc. have to be completely destroyed by blasting or incineration.
MEISSNER has developed an extensive disposal concept for a wide range of applications. Besides the destruction of explosives and propellants by burning the charges as practised on open burning places, the MEISSNER technology also comprises the removal of explosive traces from shells and other metal parts by means of thermal treatment in an annealing furnace.
Moreover, it covers the disposal of explosive-containing bodies, such as e. g. detonators, fuses, pyrotechnic objects and ammunition of small calibres with and without explosive (weight of explosive up to 200 g per charge), by blasting or annealing in a blasting chamber provided with a scrap metal bed.
All waste gases resulting from the incineration of explosives, the thermal treatment of metal parts contaminated with explosives and the destruction of small calibre ammunition, fuses and other explosives containing small objects in the blasting chamber are treated in a waste gas purification plant (working without waste water generation) in such a way that the required off-gas values can be kept.
Equipment for Removal of Explosives from Waste Water
MEISSNER has developed a system for treatment of explosive-containing waste waters from explosives factories, explosives waste disposal, plant shutdowns and room cleaning work. This system allows the removal of explosives from all waste waters of demilitarisation plants.
The purified waste water can either be returned into the process, or be discharged directly into an outfall ditch under observance of the existing environmental regulations.
The removed explosives together with the auxiliaries (e. g. granules from high-pressure water jet cutting) can be disposed of in an environmentally compatible way in a MEISSNER incineration plant
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