I joined the forum two days ago and spent a couple hours searching the threads for information that would be useful to me. I found very little info that was relevant to my cause, but I'm sure there are members with the knowledge I seek.
At the beginning of the year I took the Environmental Engineer position at an Air Bag Inflator manufacturing facility. The facility not only manufactures the inflators, but also manufactures the propellant for the inflators.

I have a strictly environmental management/compliance background with limited chemistry knowledge and, before my employment here, no explosives experience.

To get to the point, our propellant manufacturing facility, as well as the inflater assembly facility generates waste propellants. The wastes are the result or several possible circumstances. The propellants may fall out of the assembly machines and hit the floor, therefore technically, the propellant is no good. Our largest generating source of propellant waste, however, is generated in the manufacturing process. Wastes may result from a problem with dimensions of the propellant (the propellant is formed into a pellet or grain), poor mixture of the materials, some cosmetic flaw, or a number of other specifications that the Quality Engineers have deemed as requirements.

Currently, we are permitted to treat/dispose of these waste materials in an open burn process. I have a problem with this. It seems to me that there must be someone or some legal use somewhere for this material.
The open burn permit was costly to obtain, somewhat costly to maintain, and a regulatory pain in the rear.

I am apprehensive to get into the details of the composition of the propellants but I will do my best to provide the necessary information without divulging any confidential or sensitive information.

We manufacture two different types of propellant. One type is Strontium based and the other is Copper based. There are two different types of fuels used.

I have looked into the option of recycling the copper based propellants for their recoverable metals value. I have contacted a specialty metals recycling firm that specializes in extracting metals from materials such as sludges, wastes, etc. EPA allows and encourages this type of recycling. Recycling our propellants would alleviate many of our regulatory woes regarding hazardous waste.
BATF, however, does not allow this type of transaction with a non-permittee, even for recycling purposes.
The recycling firm is not willing to obtain an Explosives Permit or purchase the necessary storage facilities.
I investigated and conducted trials for on-site copper extraction. The procedure effectively extracted the copper. The remaining solids (minus the copper) were dried and subjected to the same procedure we use to ignite and burn our waste propellants. The treated pellets will not ignite. One version of our treated copper based propellants (we have two versions) propellants will burn if subjected to open flame, but they do not burn vigorously. The other type of of copper based propellants will burn if subjected to open flame, but will not sustain the burn. In other words, when a pile of the treated pellets is lit, the whole pile will not burn.

I contacted the BATF regarding my trials. I was told that even though the materials are no longer capable of reacting vigorously the material would be classified as Nitrate Explosive Mixtures.
Although, our BATF agent is willing to work with us to possibly grant an exception.

To receive an exception, I would have to prove that some sort of treatment effectively converts the Nitrates in the material to something else.
Question #1: What effect does sulfuric acid have on nitrate compounds?

An acidic solution solubilizes copper and effectively extracts it from the solid material into the solution.

Question #2: Is there a chemical process that would convert the nitrates to some other form?

Would anyone have any suggestions on how to deactivate these materials to the point where they would no longer be considered explosives?

An altogether different and simpler way to avoid the waste of burning this material and relieving our environmental regulatory burdens would be to find someone with a legal and legitimate use for our low explosives.
Of course, this person would have to be a Federal Explosives Licensee or Permitee. This would be our preferred method.

Any information I could get regarding either a treatment/deactivation method or a potential user of the material would be appreciated.

I am sending you a personal message. I can't tell you your best course of action without specific (probably proprietary) information, but I have an acquaintance I will refer you to who is involved in the business of explosives disposal/demilitarizing, with all the attendant permitting, insurances & etc.

Having worked for your company and both of your competitors as well as other areas in commercial explosives, I am aware of the formulations about which you're speaking.

The usefulness of the pyrotechnic compositions you manufacture is in their controlled generation of gas. They are poor explosives, difficult to detonate even in powdered (pre-tablet) form and expensive when compared to ANFO. And even if you're material was useful and cost effective, you don't make near enough. What seems like a lot to you, is peanuts to a commercial mining operation.

As the price of copper continues to rise, you may find it cost effective to attempt recovery and you might also consider contacting your BCN supplier who probably has a permit for nitrate based explosives and see if they would be interested in copper recovery (obviously there would need to be a financial incentive).

If you're interested in further private discussion, please feel free to PM me.

While doing some research into alternative treatment methods for our waste airbag propellants I came across a document that mentions an alternative treatment process that involves chemically activating the propellants to release their gases.

The very brief mentioning of this process describes the procedure as simply immersing the propellants in a high pH solution for an extended period of time. This caustic bath will supposedly cause the propellant to react and generate its gases.

Can anyone give me some insight on the validity of this?

Hi, I have had a few ideas as to the recycling of the nitrate components in the waste fuel cells. Depending on the nitrates used it may be possable to either make fert or offload it to an Ag-fert production company. Failing this, if you hydrogenate the nitrates you can make nitric acid with a persipitate, (this will change acording to the nitrate). This may make the recycling/ reuse easier.