TACOM Tank-automotive & Armaments COMmand JOCG Continuous Mixer and Extruder User’s Group Conference October, 2002 Processing M206 Infrared Decoy Flare Composition Through a Twin Screw Mixer/Extruder Timothy E. Dawag Warheads, Energetics and Combat-support Center Armament Systems Process Division US Army TACOM-ARDEC Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey

Committed to Excellence Outline Program Objectives Background The Method Twin Screw Extruder Facility Continuing Efforts Acknowledgements

Committed to Excellence Program Objectives Baseline a continuous manufacturing process for M206 IR Decoy Flare composition which is transferable to production-scale facilities Produce material to press and load into casings for flight testing

Committed to Excellence Background –M206 Decoy Flare Environmental Concerns – Large amounts of organic solvents utilized (hexane and acetone) – Large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released to the atmosphere Current manufacturing method is a Batch operation Personnel Concerns – Extensive operator exposure to hazardous materials and operations – Decanting bulk quantities of flare composition – Drying composition in large walk-in ovens with solvent vapors

Committed to Excellence Background –TSE Processing Environmental Benefits – Eliminate hexane, which reduces total quantity of solvents – Decrease amount of acetone – Incorporate solvent recovery system Enhance Safety – Reduce operator exposure to hazardous materials/operations – Minimize transportation of “static sensitive” intermediate products Eliminate Incidents – Several incidents have occurred over the past 5-years, many involving fatalities

Committed to Excellence Background –The Method Raw Material Characterization Inert Simulant Identification Rheological Study Mathematical Modeling Inert Processing Modeling Validation/Update Live Processing Product Analysis

Committed to Excellence TSE Facility Twin Screw Extruder – 40-mm Baker Perkins – Clam shell design – Double end bearing with side discharge Loss-in-weight feeders – Solid/Liquid/Viscous Solvent recovery system In-line granulator Product conveyors Vibratory dryer

Committed to Excellence TSE Facility Upgrades Kemutec – Cone Mill – Replacement for Prater granulator – Increased functionality – Particle size consistency – Improves safety standards Autokinetics – Conveyor System – 3 Conveyors with variable speed drive

Committed to Excellence TSE Facility Upgrades Carrier - Vibratory Dryer – Single/Double pass – Non-contact steam – Product conveyors from bottom of unit to the top – Drying capability of product with up to solvent level of 20% by weight FlexKleen - Dust Collector – Bag house dust collector – Captures residual particles from dryer

Committed to Excellence TSE Facility Upgrades

Committed to Excellence TSE Processing Inert Processing –Define process conditions Feed rates Screw speed Barrel/Die temperatures Solvent recovery/vacuum level Granulation Mathematical Simulation Model –Verify model with inert processing Solvent Level Temperature/pressure readings –Modify screw configuration –Update processing conditions and verify changes

Committed to Excellence TSE Processing Transition to Live Processing –Conducted 3 live formulations runs to date –Transition successful Little variation in process conditions Safely Product Analysis/Testing –Testing by Picatinny Arsenal Pyrotechnic Division Pressed and finished flare grains Tested for ignition time, burn time and IR intensity spectrum –Side by side comparison of batch and TSE manufactured material Both met the performance requirements of military specification Batch –More statistically variant –Intensity levels higher than TSE Twin Screw Extruder –Statistically consistent values of intensity and ignition times –Longer burn time than batch –Slower rise times than batch –Inconsistencies attributed to particle size of composition prior to pressing

Committed to Excellence Continuing Efforts Live Processing –Manufacture 75-pounds of M206 flare composition for pressing Product testing –Test composition at Picatinny Arsenal to assure product quality –Verify particle size distribution of composition attributed to inconsistencies observed between batch and TSE processing Product Finishing –Ship granulated material to Kilgore Flare Company for pressing and finishing –Kilgore Flare Company conducts onsite performance testing Flight Performance Testing –Finished grains shipped to US Air Force at Point Magu for flight testing

Committed to Excellence Acknowledgements Stevens Institute of Technology Highly Filled Materials Institute – Material characterization – Rheology – Mathematical modeling Technical Consultants, Inc. (TCI) – TSE processing expertise Kilgore Flares Company –Press and finish grains TACOM-ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal – R&D and testing – Pilot scale processing U.S. Army ManTech Manager – Army Funding U.S. Air Force at Point Magu – Flight testing U.S. Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB – Leveraged ManTech Funding