Five options were considered: (1) thermal treatment by open-field detonation; (2) removal of explosives from munition hardware by the hot water washout/steamout process, followed by incineration of all energetic components and thermal treatment of metallic hardware; (3) removal of explosives from munition hardware by the meltout process, followed by incineration of all energetic components and thermal treatment of metallic hardware; (4) removal of explosives from munition hardware of the hot water washout/steamout process; followed by refining of recovered explosives and thermal treatment of metallic hardware; and (5) removal of explosives from munition hardware by the meltout process, followed by refining of recovered explosives and thermal treatment of metallic hardware. The economic analysis focused on five representative obsolete and unserviceable munitions: (1) 90-mm cartridges filled with TNT or Composition B; (2) 3.5-inch rockets filled with Composition B; (3) 5-inch rocket warheads filled with TNT or Composition B; (4) MK-9 depth charges filled with TNT; and (5) the TNT-filled M59A1 semi-armor piercing bomb. A generic capital and operating cost data base was developed for the thermal treatment of or the recovery of resources from these munitions. This data base was applied in a case study of the relative economic attractiveness of the five waste management options.
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