This system of disposal for solid rocket fuel has been developed for the demolition and inerting of missiles and pyrotechnics.
The low operating temperature and absence of sparks and mechanical shocks make waterjetting ideal for the removal of explosive or flammable solid materials.
The removal or solid rocket fuel such as that used in ammunition is a potentially very dangerous process and the resulting material cannot be disposed as normal industrial waste. Generally, rocket fuels are disposed through:
- Removal and recycling:
Some solid propellant combinations can be recycled, for example the most common combination contains Ammonium perchlorate and aluminium powder, which can be reused as fertilizer and raw materials respectively.
It is sometimes possible to also recover the plastic binder (whose decay is the main reason for the unreliability of old propellant) for the production of elastomers.
This however requires that the removal of the propellant from the housing without residues and without thermal or chemical processes that may change its composition or cause a combustion. Currently, only waterjetting allows the recycling of propellant.
