FireDOC Search

Author
Blcok-Bolton, A. | Olson, D. | Persson, P. A. | Sandstrom, F.
Title
Polyethylene Waste Form Evaluation of Explosion and Fire Hazards. Final Report.
Coporate
New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Sponsor
Los Alamos National Lab., NM
Report
CETR Report FR-91-03; LA-SUB-93-21
June 8, 1991
74 p.
Distribution
Available from National Technical Information Service
Keywords
polyethylenes | waste disposal | explosion hazards | metal salts | fire hazards | thermal decomposition
Abstract
A proposed polyethylene waste form consists of a hot-extruded, non-porous mix of equal weights of polyethylene and granular sodium nitrate, slightly contaminated with heavy metal salts. The experiments and theoretical analysis detailed in this report were done to evaluate the risks for self-accelerating thermal decomposition, explosion, and detonation of polyethylene mixed with sodium nitrate. The study included the proposed waste form as specified and also several deviations from the specified composition and density, which could conceivably occur as a result of deficiencies in processing.