Going Green

The reuse, recycling or disposal of explosive, propellant and pyrotechnic materials is an important aspect of product stewardship. The approach must be conducted with a high degree of professionalism and must center around safety, health and environmental management.

Over the years ZMW have been involved in many Green projects:

The design, permitting, construction and operation of the world's first commercial hazardous waste incinerator designed especially for explosives waste and ammunition disposal. US Patent 5,207,176 Morhard, et. al.

Recycling more than 120,000 mT of former USSR ammunition left in East Germany (DDR) after the reunification of Germany in 1989. Extensive melt/pour technologies were used to recycle explosive fillers. Recycle rate was 93%. Bob Morhard worked directly with the German Army and the US Department of Defense with the first month after the fall of the Berlin wall and for the next two years.

More than 50,000 mT of Soviet 100 mm HE tank projectiles had their Comp B main charge steamed out for recycling into boosters
for consumption in the industrial explosives industry. Bob Morhard was instrumental in designing and managing this process.

Recycling explosives and propellants in the former USSR after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Worked directly with the USSR Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense within weeks of the fall of the Soviet Union and the following three years.

A Soviet SS-24 ICBM silo is destroyed in Pavlograd, Ukraine

ZMW provided technical services to ATK Alliant TechSystems - Thiokol Technologies International, Inc. and the US Department of Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to demilitarize the former Soviet SS-24 ICBM's in Pavlograd, Ukraine. The SS-24 propellant is being washed out from the rocket motor cases and combined with an emulsion matrix, packaged and recycled as industrial explosives in Ukraine. ZMW formulated a novel emulsion matrix compatible with the washed out SS-24 propellant, designed production equipment, and was a team member of the explosives safety and UN Hazards Classification program. ZMW presented technical information in support of a joint Ukrane-USA public information community meeting.

The SS-24 propellant washed out from the ICBM rocket motor cases and combined with an emulsion matrix was then
packaged and recycled as industrial explosives for use in iron ore mining in Ukraine.

Tom Zukovich designed a new process and installed equipment and commissioned a plant for blending emulsions with other explosives and single-based nitrocellulose propellants.