Process for the leaching of AP from propellant
OwnerRobert A. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with respect to an invention of Frosch, Graham C. Shaw +1inventors
InventorsRobert A. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with respect to an invention of Frosch, Graham C. Shaw, Meldon J. McIntosh
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Abstract
Enhanced recovery of ammonium perchlorate from waste solid rocket propellant is effected by leaching shredded particles of the propellant with an aqueous leach solution containing a low concentration of surface active agent while stirring the suspension.
Claims11
A method of recovering a water soluble oxidizer from particles of solid propellant containing the oxidizer dispersed in an organic, elastomeric hydrocarbon binder comprising the steps of:
- forming a slurry of the particles in an aqueous leach solution containing at least 0.01% by weight of a synthetic organic surfactant having an oleophilic portion that associates with the surface of the propellant particles and a hydrophilic portion to aid dispersion in the aqueous leach solution whereby said surfactant is capable of preventing agglomeration of the particles;
- heating the leach solution to a temperature from 130.degree. F. to 200.degree. F. and stirring the solution while dissolving the oxidizer into the leach solution;
- separating the leach solution from the particles;
- and
- crystallizing the oxidizer and recovering it from the separated leach solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.