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Rocket-Fuel
Disposal System
Teh Fu Yen
Professor of Environmental and Civil Engineering
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA | |
One legacy of the Cold War: a stockpile of obsolete rocket fuel from
leftover missiles. Traditional methods of disposal, such as
incineration or burial, engender risks from pollution and explosion.
But Yen has perfected a safe, environmentally sound method of
decomposing the fuel. The trick? Combining nontoxic solvents,
ultrasound and a one-two punch of white-rot fungi and anaerobic
bacteria. Yen has discussed the technique with aerospace contractors
interested in scaling the process up for large rockets. |