Using Waterjet in Reverse Logistic Operations in Discarded Munitions Processing

0 Throughout the world a lot of ammunition is stored which concentrate expensive material that is unused and unutilised. Ammunition significantly represents potential risk to human and their environment. According to analysis made by [1, 2] it has been found, that discarded munitions are destroyed by using conventional techniques such as dumping at sea, outdoors burning and detonation, mining detonations and also open burning with combustion neutralisation [ , ]. Destruction of discarded military munitions by conventional ways represents extremely hazardous process which is nowadays unacceptable. The procedure produces hazardous waste containing mainly Pb . In contrast there are non-traditional ways of discarded munitions processing with using a non-thermal way the abrasive waterjet cutting (AWJ). The technology referred to as Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ) has been industrially used since 1983. The technological process uses the transformation of a high-pressure jet to a high-speed waterjet as a tool for materials cutting. By adding some fine abrasive (solid particles) better efficiency of cutting is achieved, thus expanding the possibilities of waterjet use [1, ]. The cooling effect of the AWJ process allows cutting some multicomponent materials in all directions, with simple shape cutting. The main advantages are: ability to cut some compound materials, use on soft and hard materials [1 ], no need for fixed workpiece, shape heterogeneity, no sparks by cutting, high accuracy, reliability and simplicity of operation, possibility of ending (starting) to cut on any spot, possibility of multilayer materials cutting. These advantages pose the AWJ technology where the emphasis is on improving the processes of ammuni t ion