Effective Disposal of Fuel Cell Polyurethane Foam

The objective of this effort was to determine an effective means to dispose of fuel cell polyurethane foam. The foam fills the fuel cells of certain Air Force aircraft to suppress explosions, attenuate fuel sloshing, and serve as a barrier to foreign object debris. Waste foam is generated by two processes. Foam contaminated with fuel and purge fluid is removed from fuel cells for periodic replacement. Scrap foam is left over when foam is cut to fit the interior of fuel cells. The traditional method of foam disposal is to bury it in a landfill. Foam is not very amenable to landfilling due to its high void ratio greater than 95 percent voids. This study proceeded in three phases. The first phase was to determine if waste foam is a hazardous waste. In Phase II, we performed a comprehensive literature review to identify possible disposal methods, and tested the most promising methods in the laboratory. Finally, we performed a full-scale test of the best disposal method. Keywords Waste Disposal, Solid Waste, Wastes Industrial, Incinerators, Hazardous Material, Foam, Plastic, Polyurethane, Polyester Plastics, Polyethers, Aircraft, Military Aircraft, Fuel Tanks, Fuel Cells, Air Operations, Air Force Logistics Command.