Continuous Processing of IR Decoy Composition Brad Stevenson Jeffrey Campbell Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division 300 Highway 361 Crane, Indiana Jerry Jones B&P Process Equipment and Systems 1000 Hess Avenue Saginaw, MI 48601

Outline Program overview/Update Thiokol contract Facility photos and equipment B&P work Inert trials Collaboration efforts Road ahead

Program Overview/Update Magnesium/Teflon™/Viton™ composition production: –Coacervation coating process (batch mixer) n-Hexane to 2.2 lb. solvent/lb. dry comp Acetone lb. solvent/lb. dry comp Several recent incidents in production facilities –18 incidents since 1989, 8 fatalities, 16 injuries –Most recent - April 2001 (fatality) –Heavy OSHA fines –Small and shrinking industrial base Mixing technological advancements –Twin screw mixer/extruder (continuous mixer-TSE)

Approach Demonstrate MTV TSE processing w/solvent recovery Acquire & install TSE capability Define and implement process improvements

Thiokol Contract Goals: –Produce composition with varying burn rates –Reduce solvent usage –Incorporate solvent recovery Demonstrated: –TSE process for MTV utilizing: No n-Hexane ( lb Solvent/lb Dry Comp Reduction) 50% Acetone (0.2 lb Solvent/lb Dry Comp Reduction) –Limited continuous solvent recovery –Process flexibility in producing 3 burn rates of composition (100 lbs of each)

Demonstration Verification Sensitivity testing/shelf life testing Linear burn rate testing Mini-Qual. testing on ram extruded MJU-38 grain using batch and TSE mixed MTV All testing to date has shown no anomalies TWIN SCREW EXTRUDER COMPOSITION DEVELOPMENTAL QUALIFICATION 100 FLARES / 12 GRAIN ASSY SEALING TEST X-RAY EXAM 14 DAY T&H H - 6 M - 6 L - 6 MJU - 6 A/C VIBRATION H - 6 M - 6 L - 6 MJU - 6 TEMPERATURE SHOCK H - 6 M - 6 L - 6 MJU FOOT DROP H - 4 M - 4 L - 4 MJU - 4 CONTROLS GRAIN ASSY / FLARES H - 3 H - 3 M -3 M -3 L - 3 L -3 MJU - 3 MJU - 3 WINDSTREAM FUNCTION W / RADIOMETRY (48 GRAIN ASSY) +160 °F (16) AMB (16) -65 °F (16) STATIC FUNCTION +160 °F (16) AMB (16) -65 °F (16) 3 EACH KEY: H = FAST BURN RATE M = MEDIUM BURN RATE L = SLOW BURN RATE MJU = MJU-38 CONTROL

Equipment Commercial-Off-The-Shelf TSE –B&P process equipment and systems –Model SE mm TSE –Co-rotating, vertically aligned –Side discharge –Hydraulic drive –22:1 L/D

Liquid Feeder Solids Feeders Control Room Solvent Recovery System Baffled Funnel

Storage Mechanical Room Control Room Building 3054 Roll - up Door Aggregate filled partitions 48' 0" Mezzanine Extruder 44' 0" Building Layout

B&P Work Installation contract (design and installation) –Flolo Corp. (Chicago, IL)-electrical contractor –Gooch Eng. (Plymouth, NH)-mechanical contractor –Brabender installed and tested feeders on location Changed feed screws and gear reducers on site due to feed rate changes B&P ran inert trials in November and December of 2001 –Goal was to determine best processing parameters for Crane Commissioning runs –Ran multiple trials on both an MP series 19-mm and 50-mm TSE (25:1 L/D)

B&P Runs 19-mm Viton, Teflon, and Acetone Determine degree of mixing needed to dissolve viton pellets in first mixing section 5 test runs to determine: –Throughput –Acetone/Viton ratio –Screw speed –Screw design Critical parameter: back mixing 50-mm Viton, Teflon, and acetone with and without potassium sulfate 9 test runs to determine: –Screw design –Vacuum level –Screw speed –Solvent levels –Purge process Critical parameters: back mixing, residence time, total flow rate, and screw speed

Commissioning Runs B&P personnel present 2 days of running –2 screw designs used Screw speeds varied from 120 down to 60 rpm Results: –Teflon bridging in feeder funnel (limited to 40 minute run time) –Undissolved viton pellets in product stream –3.25D forward conveying needed due to liquid injection port location –Purge process developed

Inert Trial 1 Teflon bridging issue corrected with modified agitator and pulsed agitation TSE agitation increased utilizing more back mixing (from 60 degree to 30 degree) Screw speeds of 80, 110, and 140 rpm Varied solvent feed stream Results: –Teflon fed without bridging –Undissolved Viton pellets still present, but slightly improved –Screw speed and solvent level appeared to have little effect on undissolved Viton pellets

Inert Trial 2 Picatinny and Indian Head personnel present Checked feeder accuracy through ten 30-second samples (error was less than 1% for all feeders) Back mixing increased in first mixing section Screw speeds of 80 and 110 rpm Results: –Increased agitation helped but did not eliminate undissolved Viton pellets (>90% dissolved) –80 rpm screw speed is too slow-backed up

Inert Trial 3 Same screw design as inert trial 2 Increased barrel temperature in Zone 2 to 100ºF Screw speeds of 110 and 120 rpm Goal was to feed all ingredients and check product for Viton pellets Results: –Increased temperature resulted in acetone loss through Pot. Sulfate feed funnel Resulted in die pressure exceeding alarm limit (400 psi) –Some stagnation noticed in Pot. Sulfate baffled funnel In-depth feeder study through funnel is needed –Increased temperature improved mastication of Viton pellets, but some small pellets were still present in product stream (approx. size-0.03”)

Collaboration Efforts Picatinny personnel on-hand during extruder alignment Visited Picatinny on several occasions to review issues and exchange ideas Picatinny and Indian Head personnel attended informational meeting at Crane Indian Head personnel reviewing ladder logic Indian Head, Picatinny, and B&P have attended inert processing runs

Road Ahead Continue to work inert processing issues Install granulator, conveyor, and flow meter Receive local safety board approval Live processing-June 03 Material qualification Process refinement/documentation 2004