Sponsor:

U.S. Army Defense Ammunition Center

Research Team:

James Harmon

Universities Involved:

Oklahoma State University

Start Date:

01/01/07

End Date:

12/31/10

Summary:

The remediation of surplus nitro-aromatic explosives is key to alleviating the task of storing increasing stockpiles of out-of-specification munitions. The focus of this project is the design of a cost effective and green technology to demilitarize these explosive compounds and convert them into more benign substances. Central to this technology is the use of a porphyrin-based photocatalyst which facilitates the degradation of trinitrotoluene and other nitro-aromatic explosives. Integration of the photocatalyst into a solar reactor-type apparatus and placement at a remediation facility signify the culmination of the project’s goals.