How do you go about distroying a nuclear weapon?

Question

How do you go about distroying a nuclear weapon? I mean such as the process of doing so without actually using it. Is there anywhere this has been used in history?

Answer 1

There are some really cute answers here. I think the one about the disassembly plant in Amarillo TX is correct. There are other disassembly locations.

One point is that for a nuclear bomb to be able to explode, the fissionable material (uranium, plutonium, &c.) must be divided into sub-critical masses that are machined so that they have very precise mating surfaces. That way, when the primer charges (ordinary explosives), explode, they slap the sub-critical pieces together to form a critical mass, which immediately goes into chain reaction and cooks your neighbor's cat.

So when dismantling a nuclear bomb, they cut the sub-critical parts up into odd-shaped pieces that will not fit tightly together, and roughen the mating surfaces to keep anything from coming in close contact. This is not easy to do, and don't try it out in the garage. These are very dense, hard metals, and cannot be worked with ordinary tools. Diamond drills and carborundum saw blades are called for.

And of course the materials are all (mildly) radioactive, and special safety procedures are required. You won't glow in the dark from being in the same room, but it is not safe to handle the materials, and if you got some dust in your eye or an open cut, or breathed it, you would be really sick.

Then the "de-rated" materials are stored in a safe place, and can be cut into fuel pellets to run your nuclear power plant, submarine, or aircraft carrier. Expensive stuff. A fuel pellet the size of a blueberry muffin costs about the same as a full-size SUV.

Answer 2

yep..nuclear weapons are just simply taken apart.

The Amarillo TX location is correct..and yes the security is very very tight there. The guards can and will shoot anything that doesn't belong inside the secure perimeter. Use of deadly force is authorized...

The first step is the removal of the explosives package. most weapons just use a series of explosive lenses surrounding a sub-critical mass of plutonium. so the detonation apparatus and explosives are removed. Then that sub-critical part is removed. Now nuclear bomb material is actually a little too rich in concentration to be used straight as a fuel. they actually have to bring the concentration down for it to work well in a reactor. next, they try to recover the secondary parts of the device (some of the metals are very exotic, and can be re-melted and reused for other things).

no, they don't dip it in liquid nitrogen and drop them to shatter. that's a little bit too loony.

Answer 3

Actually, you just dismantle the weapon. The fuel is pumped out and the explosive are removed. Then the nuclear core is removed and stored in a safe place. It could be converted back to a nuclear fuel rod. This is what happens when we and the Russians agreed to a nuclear reduction treaty. I hope this answers your question.

Answer 4

I know that nuclear missiles are such sturdy things that they're very hard to take apart, and to destroy one you dip it in liquid nitrogen to make it brittle and then you drop it from up high and it shatters like glass. I suspect the bombs are a lot easier too disassemble.

Answer 5

The dis-assembly plant is outside Amarillo TX. Mason & Hanger I think still has the contract for it. We do it all the time. I've been there before. Serious security.

Answer 6

Smack it with a hammer...

JUST KIDDING!!!!

they dismantle them and take the nuclear fuel someplace for storage.

Answer 7

flush it down my toilet bowl