Destruction of Chemical Weapons: Evaluation of the Donovan Contained Detonation Chamber (CDC) Poelkapelle, Belgium

The Royal Military Academy (RMA) of Belgium was requested by the Belgium Minister of Defense to study alternatives to destroy WWI chemical munitions in an environmentally safe manner (RMA Study F0016). The RMA arranged for DeMil International to ship one of its transportable Contained Detonation Chamber systems to Poelkapelle so that the RMA could evaluate its potential to destroy these munitions. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (ACE), (Huntsville, AL) Division and U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center provided technical assistance in this evaluation. The testing was performed from May - June 2001. Shells containing DA, HD, and CG were tested. Air monitoring technologies, including MINICAMS, the CC/MS equipped with a DYNATHERM Thermal Desorption Unit to analyze DAAMS, and the OPFTIR were used onsite during the experiment. Monitoring was applied at the exhaust vent, expansion chamber, detonation chamber, and the perimeter of the system. The CDC performed as designed to contain the blast and overpressure from the explosive treatment of chemical warfare agency (CWA) shells. Treating CWA shells using an oxygen-enriched 'sheet' high explosive was demonstrated; however, residual levels of CWA were observed in the detonation chamber, expansion chamber, and the ductwork leading to/from the bag-house.