# US 6,777,586 B1 · Reclaiming RDX and TNT from composition B and composition B containing military shells > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,777,586 B1 - Document ID: US6777586B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 10/444,442 - Filed: 2003-05-23 - Granted: 2004-08-17 - Earliest claimed: 2003-05-23 - Assignees: Gradient Technology - Inventors: Kym B. Arcuri; Duane A. Goetsch; Ryan M. Smith; Steven J. Schmit; Paul L. Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6777586B1 ## CPC - C06B 21/0091: {Elimination of undesirable or temporary components of an intermediate or finished product, e.g. making porous or low density products, purifying, stabilising, drying; Deactivating; Reclaiming; (porous inert particles or chemicals compounded for these purposes C06B23/00)} - Y10S 149/124: Methods for reclaiming or disposing of one or more materials in a composition - C06B: EXPLOSIVES OR THERMIC COMPOSITIONS (blasting F42D); MANUFACTURE THEREOF; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS EXPLOSIVES (compounds in general C01, C07 or C08; {demolition agents based on cementitious or like materials C04B41/0009}) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A solvent extraction process for the separation recovery of TNT and RDX from Composition B-containing munitions. The munitions also contain liner materials, such as asphalt and binders, and sealers, such as wax, each of which are also recovered by use of solvent technology. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for recovering the components of a munition containing explosive components and non-explosive components, wherein the explosive components are comprised of RDX in a TNT matrix and wherein the non-explosive components are selected from a liner material comprised of asphalt and a sealer material comprised of a polymeric material and which non-explosive components are of a lower density than said explosive components, which process comprises: a) opening said munition to expose said explosive and non-explosive components; b) removing substantially all of said explosive components and at least a portion of said non-explosive components from the munition, which explosive components and at least a portion of non-explosive components is referred to as the feed matrix, c) conducting the feed matrix to a first settling vessel containing water and wherein at least a portion of the non-explosive components rise to the surface of the water in said first setting vessel and the explosive components sink at a rate to the bottom, d) drawing-off water containing non-explosive components and passing it to a solids/liquid separation zone wherein the non-explosive solids are separated from the water; e) recycling at least a portion of the water to settling vessel of step c) above; f) conducting an aqueous slurry of explosive components from the bottom of said first settling vessel to a solvent contacting zone wherein the aqueous explosive components slurry is admixed with an organic solvent that is substantially immiscible in water and in which TNT is soluble and in which RDX is substantially insoluble; g) conducting an explosive components/water/solvent admixture from said contacting zone to a second settling vessel wherein a TNT/solvent solution organic phase is formed at the upper part of the vessel and an RDX solids in water phase is formed at the bottom part of said second settling vessel; h) drawing off the TNT/solvent solution and passing it to a liquid/liquid separation zone wherein said solvent is separated from said TNT by a boiling point differential technique thereby leaving TNT in a crystallized form; i) collecting said solvent; j) conducting the crystallized TNT to a drying zone to remove substantially any remaining liquid therefrom; and k) collecting the RDX solids from step g). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of acetone, methanol, ethanol, diethyl ether, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2 wherein the solvent is selected from acetone and methanol. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the technique for collecting the RDX solid from the TNT/solvent solution is filtration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the TNT is separated from the solvent in step h) by evaporating the solvent. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the collected RDX solids are mixed with a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water after removing the TNT using a solvent wash. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the solvent, after TNT recovery, is condensed and recycled. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein water is continuously introduced at the bottom half of said first settling vessel at a rate lower than the settling rate of the explosive components. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein sealer material is removed from the feed matrix prior to the feed matrix being conducted to said first settling vessel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein said RDX solids collected from step g) contain a coating of desensitizing agent, which RDX solids are contacted with a paraffinic solvent at conditions to dissolve said desensitizing agent therefrom. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10 wherein the desensitizing agent is a natural or synthetic wax and wherein the paraffinic solvent is hexane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the collected RDX solids are collected in a slurry comprised of RDX solids, isopropyl alcohol, and water. ### Claim 13 A process for recovering the components of a munition containing explosive components and non-explosive components, wherein the explosive components are comprised of RDX in a TNT matrix and wherein the non-explosive components are selected from a liner material comprised of asphalt and a sealer material comprised of a polymeric material and which non-explosive components are of a lower density than said explosive components, which process comprises: a) opening said munition to expose said explosive and non-explosive components; b) removing substantially all of said explosive components and at least a portion of said non-explosive components from the munition, which explosive components and at least a portion of non-explosive components is referred to as the feed matrix; c) conducting the feed matrix to a first settling vessel containing water and wherein at least a portion of the non-explosive components rise to the surface of the water in said first settling vessel and the explosive components sink at a rate to the bottom; d) drawing-off water containing non-explosive components and passing it to a solids/liquid separation zone wherein the non-explosive solids are separated from the water; e) recycling at least a portion of the water to settling vessel of step c) above; f) conducting an aqueous slurry of explosive components from the bottom of said first settling vessel to a solvent contacting zone wherein the aqueous explosive components slurry is admixed with an organic solvent that is substantially immiscible in water and in which TNT is soluble and in which RDX is substantially insoluble; g) conducting an explosive components/water/solvent admixture from said contacting zone to a second settling vessel wherein a TNT/solvent solution organic phase contaminated with RDX is formed at the upper part of the vessel and an RDX solids in water phase is formed at the bottom part of said second settling vessel; h) drawing off the TNT/solvent solution contaminated with RDX and passing it to a separation zone; i) introducing an effective amount of water into said separation zone to cause at least a portion of the RDX to crystallize; j) conducting a slurry of crystallized RDX, water, and solvent contaminated with TNT from said separation zone to a clean-up zone wherein a solvent in which TNT is substantially soluble and in which RDX is substantially insoluble is introduced to separate TNT from the remaining components and drawing off a solution of TNT and solvent from said clean-up zone thereby leaving a mixture of RDX and water, k) introducing a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water into said clean-up zone containing crystallized RDX and water; l) drawing off a mixture of RDX in isopropyl alcohol and water from said clean-up zone; m) separating solvent from TNT in said separation zone of step h) by a boiling point differential technique thereby leaving TNT in a crystallized form; n) collecting said solvent; o) conducting the crystallized TNT to a drying zone to remove substantially any remaining liquid therefrom; and p) collecting the RDX solids from step g). ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of acetone, methanol, ethanol, diethyl ether, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The process of claim 14 wherein the solvent is selected from acetone and methanol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein the technique for collecting the RDX solids from the TNT/solvent solution is filtration. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein the TNT is separated from the solvent in step h) by evaporating the solvent. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein the solvent, after TNT recovery, is condensed and recycled. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein water is continuously introduced at the bottom half of said first settling vessel at a rate lower than the settling rate of the explosive components. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein sealer material is removed from the feed matrix prior to the feed matrix being conducted to said first settling vessel. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein said RDX solids collected from step g) contain a coating of desensitizing agent, which RDX solids are contacted with a paraffinic solvent at conditions to dissolve said desensitizing agent therefrom. ### Claim 22 The process of claim, 21 wherein the desensitizing agent is a natural or synthetic wax and wherein the paraffinic solvent is hexane. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein the collected RDX solids are collected in a slurry comprised of RDX solids, isopropyl alcohol, and water.