Surface Decontamination of Simulated Chemical Warfare Agents Using a Nonequilibrium Plasma with Off-Gas Monitoring

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2002 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 30(4):1454-1459

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/TPS.2002.804197· OSTI ID:15010712

Moeller, Trevor M; Alexander, M Lizabeth; Engelhard, Mark H; Gaspar, Dan J; Luna, Maria L; Irving, Patricia M

InnovaTek is developing a surface decontamination technology that utilizes active species generated in a nonequilibrium corona plasma. The plasma technology was tested against DMMP, a simulant for the chemical agent Sarin. GC-MS analysis showed that a greater than four log10 destruction of the DMMP on an aluminum surface was achieved in a 10 minute treatment. An ion-trap mass spectrometer was utilized to collect time-resolved data on the treatment off-gases. These data indicate that only non-toxic fragments of the broken down DMMP molecule were present in the gas phase. The technology is being further refined to develop a product that will not only decontaminate surfaces but will also sense when decontamination is complete

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 15010712
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-35333; ITPSBD; 1720; KP1704020; TRN: US200502%%461
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 30(4):1454-1459, Vol. 30, Issue 4; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
ALUMINIUM
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
DECONTAMINATION
MASS SPECTROMETERS
MONITORING
NON-EQUILIBRIUM PLASMA
PLASMA
Atmospheric air plasma discharge
chemical warfare agent
decontamination
nonequilibrium plasma
nonthermal plasma
ion-trap mass spectrometry
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory