The present invention provides an improved sorbent and corresponding device(s) and uses thereof for the capture and stabilization of volatile organic compounds (VOC) or semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) from a gaseous atmosphere. The sorbent is capable of rapid and high uptake of one or more compounds and provides quantitative release (recovery) of the compound(s) when exposed to elevated temperature and/or organic solvent. Uses of particular improved grades of mesoporous silica are disclosed.

A method for the degassing of hypergolic propellants includes introducing hypergolic propellant into a vacuum-tight vessel, cooling the vacuum-tight vessel containing the hypergolic propellant, and applying a pressure that is reduced as compared to the atmospheric pressure to the hypergolic propellant.

The invention relates to a method for producing a cocrystal of at least two compounds by means of instantaneous evaporation or flash evaporation, for example for the production of cocrystals in the fields of energetic materials, pharmaceutical compounds, phytopharmaceutical compounds, ferroelectric materials, non-linear response materials or bioelectronic materials.

Methods for disposing of munition components may include separating propellants from heavy metal penetrators and disposing of those separated components into different types of geological formations. The initially solid form propellants may be converted into a stable liquified propellant form, by a particular disclosed process, that may be injected within salt water (injection) disposal wells, where distal portions of such salt water disposal wells may be located in a geological formation of substantially at least one salt. The separated heavy metal penetrators (with or without their associated projectile jackets) may be disposed of within human-made caverns, where such human-made caverns may be located within a deep geological formation that is often 2,000 feet or more below the Earth's surface. The heavy metal penetrators may include uranium (depleted uranium). Portions of a given munition, to be disposed of, may be radioactive.

A method of preparing gunpowder includes selecting a known combination of chemicals used in making gunpowder; mixing the known combination of chemicals and a measurement of liquid ammonia at a predetermined temperature; stirring the chemicals and liquid ammonia with a laboratory mechanical stirrer, causing the chemicals to blend at a molecular level; raising the temperature of the mixture, causing the liquid ammonia to evaporate from the mixture, while keeping the mixture significantly below ignition temperature; allowing the remaining mixture to warm, thereby reducing the risk of ignition; and resulting in a fine gunpowder mixture, with no water content and limited recrystallization of the chemicals.

Formulations of reactive materials, such as aluminum, magnesium and alloys thereof, with combustible additives such as wood derivatives or charcoal, provide a composition for neutralizing energetic materials via combustion. Specifically, explosive substances such as ammonium nitrate and urea nitrate, which are commonly used as homemade explosives, are rapidly incinerated in a non-propagating manner by the contact with burning reactive material formulations.

The present disclosure is related to the technical field of propellant performance research, and in particular, to a method for reducing propellant curing residual stress by a high-energy acoustic beam. The method includes the following steps: injecting a propellant slurry into a curing container and waiting for the propellant slurry to start curing; actuating, when the propellant slurry starts curing, a high-energy acoustic beam generator and a high-energy acoustic beam transducer to continuously emit high-energy acoustic beam to the propellant slurry in the curing container until the propellant slurry is cured to form a propellant grain; and closing the high-energy acoustic beam generator and the high-energy acoustic beam transducer. The method for reducing propellant curing residual stress by high-energy acoustic beam provided in the present disclosure can reduce residual stress inside the propellant in an effective manner, thereby ensuring operation safety of the aerospace equipment.

A method for producing an aqueous foam comprising (a) preparing a solution comprising at least one surfactant and at least one protic polar solvent, (b) bringing the solution into contact with a pressurised gas to obtain a two-phase mixture, and (c) injecting the two-phase mixture to obtain the aqueous foam after expansion or dispersion of the gas. The solution further comprises at least one gelling compound chosen from a non-nitrogenous polysaccharide and gelatin. An aqueous foam obtained by such method and uses of the same, in particular in the fields of decontamination, the purification of effluents, or the defusing or containment of explosive devices or suspected explosive devices.

A number of devices and methods for biopassivating explosive ordnance are disclosed. In some embodiments, a biopassivation reactor device is used to render energetic material in an explosive ordnance less explosive and/or non-explosive. This can be done by coupling the biopassivation reactor device to the fuse opening of the explosive ordnance. This can also be done by incorporating the biopassivation reactor device into the explosive ordnance at the time of manufacture. The biopassivation reactor device can include a housing enclosing microorganisms, water, additives, and/or the like. In some embodiments, an entire ordnance magazine can be operated as a bioreactor to passivate the explosive ordnance inside.

Detonable devices such as charged air bag inflators are fed to a shred tower at a controlled feed rate via a feed valve. Water spray and/or water baths in the shred tower prevent sparking and begin to solubilize chemicals while the inflators are fed to primary and optional secondary shredders respectively performing course and fine shreds. A sump receives the shredded material which continues solubilize and separate chemicals from metal. A conveyor lifts solids from the sump. Dewatered solids are fed to a receiving box for metal scrap recycling.