Shock Effects - h3010v10215

DOE-HDBK-3010-94

5.0 Surface Contamination; Contaminated, Combustible Solids

An attempt will be made to provide some train of logic for certain situations that appear to

be amenable to definition.

5.2.2.1

S h ock E ffects

Combustible solids will undergo fragmentation by the shattering effect of detonation like

other materials. Due to the extreme flexibility of some materials (thin sheets of paper,

rubber, plastic), these materials may be more subject to dislodgement by shock-vibration at

very short distances from the blast interface. No experimental data on the airborne release

of contaminants from this phenomenon were uncovered.

The particulate contamination on the surface of the combustible material may be dislodged by

the vibration of the substrate in response to the shock wave. The small mass of the

particulate contamination would probably require many cycles before dislodging and the

airborne release would be small. The particle attached to porous surface such as wood or

paper would probably not be dislodged by fragmentation of the substrate. Accordingly, this

phenomena is considered bounded by venting of pressurized gases over the material as

discussed in subsection 5.2.2.3. Due to the high temperatures that may be generated and the

dispersive action of the pressure impulse from the explosion, burning of the combustible

material may also be a concern. This combustion would be bounded by values in subsection

5.2.1.2 for burning of uncontained waste provided containment is broken or, for very severe

circumstances (i.e., light, loose waste immediately contiguous to a true detonation and

entrained in shock wave), the values in subsection 5.2.1.3 for some fraction of dispersed ash

dropped into a flowing airstream.

5.2.2.2

B last E ffects

Due to the extreme flexibility of most of the materials that comprise combustible wastes

(e.g., sheets of tissue paper, toweling, paper, plastic, rags), the principal impact of

accelerated velocity would appear to be dispersal of the material with loss by dislodgement of

the contaminant by shock-vibration. Accordingly, this phenomena is considered bounded by

venting of pressurized gases over the material as discussed in subsection 5.2.2.3. Due to the

high temperatures that may be generated and the dispersive action of the pressure impulse

from the explosion, burning of the combustible material may also be a concern. Highly

pressurized waste drum releases, general area deflagrations, etc. could cause releases defined

in subsection 5.2.1.2 for burning of uncontained waste provided containment is broken.

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