CSS Georgia's Parting Shot-- Part 2: Disarming the Shells

They referred to it as inerting the shell gunpowder.

The two men would then look through a 5.5-inch thick bulletproof window atop the plate, and an iPad and GoPro camera to monitor and remotely drill a small hole in each projectile.  This hole allowed them to extract the black powder that comprised the bulk of the shell's explosive.

All this work was called for as they found dry black powder in the majority of the shells.

Next each projectile was run through a series of steps that repeatedly soaked and flushed the black powder using MuniRem solution and high-pressure hot water.This was extremely important.

The MuniRem process is a solution that chemically neutralizes explosives, and was invented by Professor Valentine Nzengung at the University of Georgia.  The process is unique, because not only does it chemically degrade or destroy munitions, but also renders left over waste water and sludge as nonhazardous.

Following the inertion process, the projectiles were sent to Texas A&M's Conservation Research Laboratory for further conservation.

--Old -Runner