Hazardous or toxic waste destruction or containment – Containment – Solidification – vitrification – or cementation
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-12
2001-06-12
Griffin, Steven P. (Department: 1754)
Hazardous or toxic waste destruction or containment
Containment
Solidification, vitrification, or cementation
C588S253000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06245958
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for the non-incendiary disposal of rockets, missiles, and projectiles, and more particularly, to techniques for disassembling and disposing of rocket parts containing deleterious substances such as propulsion fuels and so on.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As one can ascertain, with the stockpiling of rockets, missiles, and other highly dangerous projectiles, there is a need to provide means to adequately dispose of such items. Particularly, in the present due to the cooling off of the Cold War and based on the division of the Soviet Union, there has been a need to dispose of large numbers of rockets and other projectiles in order to decrease the stockpiles and to reduce the apparent danger inherent in storing and stockpiling large numbers of these devices.
An obvious technique for destroying such devices is by incinerating or blowing up such devices. As is well known, this is inherently and extremely dangerous. It is a fact that explosions of this sort are relatively uncontrollable. If they are done in a controlled environment, then excessive amounts of materials, devices and cost have to be employed to assure public safety as well as the safety of all individuals in conducting such operations. Hence, the destruction of such devices by incendiary techniques is inadvisable and extremely dangerous.
There are other techniques for getting rid of such missiles, such as submerging them or burying them, all of which create pollution problems and are generally detrimental to the environment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide techniques for the non-incendiary disposal of projectiles, rockets, missiles and parts thereof. As will be explained, such techniques involve the disassembly of such devices and the neutralization of various exposed parts after disassembly, as well the total obliteration of the entire device body and frame, utilizing non-incendiary techniques.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention describes a method of disposing of projectiles, missiles, rockets and devices containing chemical or other energetic incendiary explosive materials to render such devices harmless by a non-incendiary process, comprising the steps of hydrolyzing said device with a caustic solution for a period sufficient to render said energetic, incendiary explosive materials harmless including all parts of said devices in contact with said materials.
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Amos Chris Neil
Baker Dennis W.
Berardo Peter A.
Edwards Victor H.
Lovell, III Gilbert H.
Buchanan & Ingersoll PC
Griffin Steven P.
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Nave Eileen E.
Plevy Arthur L.
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