In-Situ Landmine Neutralization Using Chemicals to Initiate Low Order Burning of Main Charge Divyakant L. Patel, James Dillon and Noel Wright US Army, CECOM, R&D Center Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate Fort Belvoir, Virginia 22060-5806 ABSTRACT with Chemical Capsule (BCC). The second An estimated 45 to 50 million emplaced DETA based system, the Reactive Mine landmines in over 60 countries kill or maim Clearance (REMIC) device, improved approximately 10,000 people annually. An chemical delivery performance over the international humanitarian demining effort is BCC. The third and fourth systems (Small underway to eliminate this global problem. and Large REMIC-II) use binary chemicals Currently, the most common in-situ mine to neutralize a wider range of explosives, neutralization procedure is demolition using and improve performance against a variety small explosive charges such as C-4 or TNT. of mine case thickness when compared to However, this method is not suitable for the DETA based prototypes. This paper mines placed on or near important structures summarizes tests of the four devices against such as bridges, public buildings, railroads, anti-personnel (AP) and anti-tank (AT) water or oil wells and power lines. mines. Each device has advantages and Explosive destruction in these circumstances disadvantages involving cost, reliability, will also damage these structures. In terrain, main charge explosive type, target addition, detonation of metal case mines case thickness and type, chemical toxicity, increases the amount of metal contamination shelf life, shipment and storage. Chemical in an area, making post-clearance quality mine neutralization systems provide a means control much more difficult and time to make demining safer, more reliable, and consuming. Burning landmines in-situ is an less expensive. alternative method of neutralization that can avoid these problems. The US Army INTRODUCTION Communications Electronics Command Landmines have played an important (CECOM) Night Vision and Electronic role in land warfare since their introduction Sensors Directorate (NVESD), under the in World War I. They were widely used DoD Humanitarian Demining Research and during World War II, and in many conflicts Development (R&D) Program, has been ever since. The variety of landmines is working to develop a chemical solution for tremendous. They range from crude non-explosive in-situ mine neutralization. mechanical to complex electromechanical To date the R&D Program has developed systems. They vary in size, shape, case four prototype chemical delivery systems. material, fuze design, explosive type, and Two systems use diethylene triamine method of emplacement. The world is (DETA), which is hypergolic with TNT, polluted with an estimated 45-50 million Tetryl and TNT based explosives, and the mines in over 60 countries. Landmines other two are based on binary chemicals. killed or maimed approximately 10,000 The first DETA system is known as Bullet people in 2000 alone [1]. In-Situ Landmine Neutralization Using Chemicals to Initiate Low Order Burning of Main Charge § Nitrate ester - O-NO2, of which A strong international effort to eliminate PETN is an example. the landmine problem has been underway § Nitroarenes - C-NO2, which includes for several years. The most common in-situ TNT. mine neutralization procedure used by § Nitramines - N-NO2, characterized deminers is demolition, using small by RDX. explosive charges such as a C-4 or blocks of TNT. However, this method is not suitable TNT is a popular explosive. It melts at a against mines emplaced on or near important relatively low temperature (810C) and is structures such as bridges, public building, therefore readily cast. Chemical stability is railroads, water or oil wells, and power high and sensitivity to impact is low. Due to lines. In addition, detonation of metal case its low melting point, TNT is used in a mines increases the amount of metal mixture with metal, oxidized and many high contamination in the area, making post- explosives such as Tritonal (TNT + Al), clearance quality control much more Cyclotol (RDX + TNT), Octol (HMX + difficult and time consuming. Other serious TNT), Baratol (TNT + Ba(NO3)2, Pentolite drawbacks with removal for detonation (PETN +TNT) [2] etc. Explosives contain include safety, cost, effective destruction, considerable oxygen within their metastable time constraints, storage, transportation, molecules; hence they do not need air in training, and the potential for the explosive order to detonate, deflagrate, or dissociate to be stolen. Development of a reliable by autocatalytic decomposition. TNT will means for in-situ mine neutralization by generally burn fiercely but without transition burning can provide a solution to these to detonation if simply ignited; i.e., without problems. use of a detonator and explosive booster charge to shock-initiate the TNT. Hence, a To address this need, the US Army stimulus means such as a chemical Communications Electronics Command hypergolic or high temperature thermite is (CECOM) Night Vision and Electronic capable of causing autocatalytic Sensors Directorate (NVESD), under the decomposition instead of detonation. The DoD Humanitarian Demining Research and chemical transformation of TNT, as well as Development (R&D) Program, has been most other secondary explosives, can actively developing prototype chemical proceed by four general mechanisms: delivery systems for in-situ neutralization of mines by burning. 1. Burning 2. Heterogeneous chemical reaction BACKGROUND 3. Detonation A 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 4. Autocatalytic decomposition TNT-based explosive such as Composition B (TNT + RDX), also known as Comp B, or Open-pit burning, by spraying kerosene amatol (TNT + NH4NO3), is the main or fuel oil on propellant and explosive and explosive charge in many anti-personnel then igniting it, is a common practice for the (AP) and anti-tank (AT) mines. TNT is a disposal of propellants and explosives. military and secondary explosive. Burning of confined, often buried ordnance Secondary explosives fall into one of three is not feasible because of its dependence on categories, all of which contain nitro (NO2): oxygen. Heterogeneous chemical reaction of explosives with suitable chemical 2 In-Situ Landmine Neutralization Using Chemicals to Initiate Low Order Burning of Main Charge reagents is effective [3] but requires BAE developed both binary chemical excessive quantities of such reagents, and systems under contract with NVESD. In there is no practical, effective delivery addition to being based on binary chemicals, system for in-situ neutralization, especially the Small REMIC-II and Large REMIC-II in the case of buried mines. Detonation of fine-tune the original REMIC to different- explosive ordnance is a viable option that is sized targets. BAE System’s Integrated in practice, but as discussed previously has Defense Solutions developed a new binary several drawbacks. chemical consisting of solid and liquid chemicals. Separately, both chemicals are Autocatalytic decomposition and safe to handle, transport, and store and they burning are the simplest, cheapest, and most are non-toxic. However, when these effective options for chemical neutralization chemicals are combined, they react and of landmine explosives. These types of burn. chemical neutralization are most readily achieved by using suitable chemicals that Regardless of the type of chemicals are hypergolic or pyrophoric with the used, any chemical neutralization system explosives; e.g., metal alkyls and aliphatic must have a delivery system that can first amines. Very small amounts, even several expose the explosive inside the mine by drops in laboratory tests, cause nearly cutting into and opening the case without instantaneous hypergolic ignition of TNT, causing detonation, then introduce the Comp.B, and Tetryl. However amines and chemical(s) into the opening. The next metal alkyls failed to ignite RDX, C-4 and section describes the four delivery systems PETN explosives used in several AP and AT developed under the Humanitarian mines. Demining R&D Program. The US Army Communications DELIVERY SYSTEMS Electronics Command (CECOM) Night Bullet with Chemical Capsule (BCC) Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD), under the DoD Humanitarian Dr. Allen Tulis and James Austing, Demining Research and Development former members of IIT Research Institute, (R&D) Program, has developed four developed the Bullet with Chemical Capsule prototype chemical delivery systems for in- (BCC) [4]. The BCC uses diethylene situ mine neutralization by burning. Two triamine (DETA) in a plastic bottle placed delivery systems use diethylene triamine just above the landmine, over an area where (DETA), which is hypergolic with TNT, the main charge is located. The BCC Tetryl, Comp.B and other TNT based delivery mechanism is a simple tripod as explosives. The other two systems use shown in Figures 1a and 1b. A bullet, shot binary chemicals that are effective against a through the capsule and into the mine, wide range of explosives. The first DETA ruptures the capsule, penetrates the mine based system, developed by IIT Research casing and enters into the explosive charge, Institute, is the Bullet with Chemical carrying the dispersed chemical into the Capsule (BCC). The second, developed by explosive charge inside the mine. Within BAE Systems, is the Reactive Mine seconds a highly exothermic, hypergolic Clearance (REMIC) System. autocatalytic self-destruction of