SEPS Mission Areas
Mission Area I: Toxicology
Toxicity of energetic materials such as propellants, pyrotechnics, and munitions, their ingredients, combustion products, and related chemicals and subjects. Also of interest are the use of risk assessment methodologies in the management of toxic hazards and the rationale for the establishment of toxic material exposure criteria for the workplace and the environment.
Mission Area II: Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling and Hazards Assessment
Mission Area II is focused on atmospheric dispersion modeling and hazards assessment applied to propulsion activities. Subjects of interest include modeling transport and diffusion of propellant spills including both dense and trace gases, chemically reactive species, and aerosols; wind flow and dispersion modeling in complex terrain; model validation; source modeling; ozone depletion, ground cloud dispersal, and acid rain from launch vehicles; and models for emergency response systems. Experimental or theoretical work on other atmospheric hazards such as thunderstorms, lightning, wind shear, and precipitation are also welcome.
Mission Area III: Instrumentation
Interests include instrumentation requirements, basic research, and hardware development of equipment used to measure hazardous environments. Presentations regarding work done in the measurement of hypergolic or other hazardous propellant vapors, oxygen/hydrogen propellant vapors, hydrochloric acid and other propellant combustion products, and other chemical hazards of interest to the propulsion community are sought.
Mission Area IV: Environmental
For the Spring 2020 meeting, the Environmental Mission Area is interested in papers that address environmental fate and transport of insensitive munitions or proposed propellant replacements. This includes computational approaches for predicting combustion products and their transport in the environment. Presentations that address any of the following: emerging environmental regulations and their impact on energetic materials operations, environmental effects on flora and fauna resulting from propulsion-related activities, permitting requirements; hazardous waste treatment; water and air pollution prevention and control technologies involving energetic material production and use; waste minimization, operational ingredient reclamation or recycling in the production of energetic materials.
Mission Area V: Industrial Hygiene
Industrial hygiene aspects of energetic material production, transportation, use, and disposal. Areas of interest include personal protective strategies and equipment used in manufacturing and handling operations; ingredient and product monitoring methods and experience; operational ventilation strategies and experience; hazardous materials control; hazardous waste management; substitution of less hazardous materials in industrial processes and maintenance; and hazardous materials information, including labeling and material safety data sheets.
Mission Area VI: Range Safety and Explosives Safety
Range safety and explosives safety issues relevant to launch range safety risk assessments and other energetic material safety problems. Papers are sought that address hazards inherent in solid and liquid propellant/explosive/ pyrotechnic (PEP) materials manufacturing, processing, handling, storage, use and disposal; liquid and solid propellant explosive hazards; air blast effects; quantity-distance criteria; shielding; and the hazards of damaged or aged propellants.
Mission Area VII: Green Energetic Materials (GEM) Joint PEDCS - SEPS Mission Area
Papers are sought on the development of environmentally sustainable energetic ingredients, formulations, and processing technologies with an emphasis on the following: reduction of impacts from energetic materials and unexploded ordnance on military ranges, manufacturing and demilitarization facilities; enhancement of recycling, recovery, reuse and reduction of waste; and response to specific impacts that environmental regulations have had on military readiness, such as limiting training with live ordnance, outsourcing of manufacturing overseas or explicit banning of the use of specific materials.
Mission Area VIII: Demilitarization, Reclamation, and Reuse Technologies
Demilitarization, reclamation, and reuse technologies for propellant, explosive, and pyrotechnic (PEP) materials. Interest areas include: thermal degradation/treatment and incineration of PEP materials; chemical or mechanical separation, reclamation, and neutralization technologies; technologies that utilize sub- or super-critical fluids for reclamation or oxidation of PEP materials; biodegradation technology; reuse of energetic materials or ingredients for military and commercial applications; and regulations that address traditional disposal options, such as open burning/open detonation and static firing.
Mission Area IX: Review of Accidents and Incidents
Review of accidents and incidents involving propellant manufacturing, storage, transportation, use, hazardous material spills, and transportation accident response. Topics of interest include lessons learned, post-accident procedures for liquid propellant spills, propellant spill response systems, spill mitigation activities, and transportation accident response computer systems.