Microwave Destruction of Waste Rocket Fuels

1. Microwave Destruction of Waste Rocket Fuels CHA Corporation 372 West Lyon Laramie, WY 82072 Telephone: (307) 742-2829 Fax: (307) 742-3415 Email: ccha@chacorporation.com • Waste Rocket Fuel Treatment • Vapor Phase Destruction • Easily Incorporated to Existing • Water Scrubbing Systems Introduction The CHA Corporation treatment system has the potential to completely eliminate waste hydrazine-based rocket fuels and waste oxidizer, separately. Currently water scrubbing is the most popular method used for the treatment of these fuels in a nitrogen sweep stream. The CHA novel approach uses 2450 MHz of microwave energy to decompose the spent hydrazine-based rocket fuels to harmless methane, hydrogen, and nitrogen. The oxidizer is separately decomposed to carbon dioxide and nitrogen. We have discovered that microwave energy significantly increases the decomposition rate of the spent fuel. Microwave energy also greatly increases the oxidation rate of hydrogen and methane at low temperature and atmospheric pressure. This will reduce the operating and capital costs for this type of treatment system. The CHA process can be easily added upstream of existing water scrubbing devices with no added waste material. CHA Corporation Background For the past 10 years CHA Corporation has focused on the utilization of microwaves to induce or enhance the destruction of toxic chemicals. These efforts, made possible through industrial and governmental support, emphasize the development of new technologies for gas and water cleanup through selective destruction of toxic substances in contaminated waste streams using microwave energy. Principles of Technology The CHA Corporation has extensive experience on the decomposition of organic compounds in vapor phase over a carbon-bed using microwave energy. Microwaves are a unique means of supplying energy to chemical reactions. We have found microwaves to be very effective for promoting the destruction of toxic substances. In addition, when used in appropriate circumstances, microwave energy can be very cost effective. Microwave energy combined with activated carbon significantly increases the decomposition rate of toxic substances in gas. Experimental results show that the destruction of waste hydrazine fuels (hydrazine, UDMH, and MMH) in the vapor phase using microwave energy is a viable option for destruction of these compounds. This option is also used, separately, to destroy waste quantities of the oxidizer N2O4. There are five main advantages for using this type of destruction system. They are; (1) can be easily installed upstream of existing water scrubbing facilities without violating existing permits, (2) existing water scrubbing processes become a backup to the new vapor phase destruction process, (3) process water treatment and potential problems with water pollution are eliminated (4) it requires CHA CORPORATION less energy than liquid phase processing and (5) capital and operating costs are lower than the existing water scrubbing processes combined with microwave destruction of water-borne hydrazine fuels. The microwave system for the destruction of hydrazine, UDMH, and MMH consists of the two main components illustrated on the following page. This system is also used, separately, to destroy waste quantities of oxidizer N2O4. CHA Corporation Technology Update Summer 1999

2. CHA Microwave New Emission Control for Rocket Fuels Clean Gas Vented to Atmosphere N2, Hydrazine, UDMH, and MMH OR N2O4 (NO2) and N2 Microwave Catalyst Bed Oxidizer Microwave Carbon Bed Reactor H2, N2, and CH4 OR CO2 and N2 Air Microwave Carbon Bed Reactor and Oxidizer The nitrogen stream containing hydrazine, UDMH, and MMH is passed through the carbon bed microwave reactor. In this microwave carbon-bed, rocket fuels are decomposed into nitrogen, hydrogen, and methane as shown below. N2H4 2H2 + N2 (Hydrazine) (CH3)2N2H2 2CH4 + N2 (UDMH) CH3N2H CH4 + N2 (MMH) Nitrogen and hydrogen are not air pollutants. However, methane is considered a green house gas therefore, it must be destroyed. To destroy this gas, the exit stream from the microwave carbon-bed reactor passes through the microwave oxidizing catalyst reactor, where they are oxidized to water and carbon dioxide. The decomposition of both the rocket fuels and the byproducts are driven by low intensity microwave energy at a frequency of 2450 MHz. For the destruction of waste oxidizer N2O4, the nitrogen stream containing the N2O4 is introduced to the microwave carbon bed reactor. The oxidizer reacts with carbon to be converted into harmless carbon dioxide and nitrogen, as shown below. N2O4 + 2C 2CO2 + N2 (N2O4) The destruction of N2O4 requires only the microwave carbon-bed reactor. For additional information contact Dr. C.Y. Cha at (307) 742-2829 CHA CORPORATION CHA Corporation Technology Update Summer 1999