Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for purging an airlock cavity created between the airlock access door and the primary explosion chamber opening sealing mechanism. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an airlock device is used to ensure that, in the event toxins are released from the primary explosion chamber opening sealing means, the toxins are properly handled and are not inadvertently released into the atmosphere. In one embodiment, negative pressure is used to vacuum the entrained air within the airlock cavity subsequent to an explosion. To facilitate the sweeping and exhausting of the cavity, an orifice in the access door may be operable to allow the flow of ambient air through the airlock access door.

Abstract: A method of suppressing shrapnel ejection inherent with fragmentary and shrapnel munition destruction. The present invention utilizes a method of imploding an initiating explosive onto the munition device whereby the munition device is exploded. The method has the counterbalancing effect between the explosion and the implosion, thus controlling and drastically decreasing the quantity, velocity, and kinetic energy of the resultant shrapnel ejection. An alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizes a combination of a cylindrical container with the wrapped munition device. The munition device to be destroyed is wrapped with flexible explosive material and placed into the cylindrical container and the resultant void space between the container walls and the munition is filled with pourable or fluid explosive material. Upon detonation of the flexible explosive material and fluid explosive material, an implosion and simultaneous chain reaction occurs whereby detonating the munition device itself.