Detonation Chamber of Chemical Munitions: Its Design Philosophy and Operation Record at Kanda, Japan

Destruction of chemical weapons is a technical area that involves extensive international cooperation, with open discussion among a wide variety of participants aimed at elimination of these weapons of mass destruction. The most common methods for destruction of chemical weapons are: (1) chemical neutralization and (2) incineration after separation of the chemical agent from the weapon’s explosive charge. When the munitions are stockpiled, the agent and the explosive charge are easily separated by means of reverse assembly or water jet cutting. However, for munitions that are not stockpiled, complete separation of agent and explosive charge is nearly impossible.