Decontamination of chemical warfare agents. Final report, June 1991-August 1992
Reviews of the development of systems to decontaminate chemical warfare agents and of the chemical reactions involved in decontamination are presented in this report. Decontamination is defined as the rapid removal of agents from contaminated surfaces. Simple physical methods, such as evaporation, washing, and scrubbing, fall under this broad definition; however, most of the decontaminants contain reactive components to detoxify as well as remove the agents. In nonaqueous media, a strong base reacts rapidly with the four major chemical agents; mustard, VX, GB, and GD. In aqueous mixtures, H and VX are detoxified with an oxidant; whereas, the G agents are hydrolyzed with an excess of hydroxide ion. Current research efforts are aimed at developing effective decontaminants that are noncorrosive, nontoxic, and environmentally safe. Both catalytic and enzymatic approaches using solid or heterogeneous liquid media are being pursued. A fundamental understanding of the chemical nature of the agents is essential in the success of these approaches.... Decontamination, Sarin, VX, Chemical agents, Soman, Hydrolysis, Review, Mustard gas.
- Research Organization:
- Edgewood Research, Development and Engineering Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 6439064
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-261882/5/XAB; ERDEC-TR--004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
450600* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Chemical & Biological-- (1990)
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL WARFARE
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
CHEMISTRY
CLEANING
DECOMPOSITION
DECONTAMINATION
DISPERSIONS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENZYMES
EVAPORATION
FLUIDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLYSIS
HYDROXIDES
LIQUIDS
LYSIS
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDIZERS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PROTEINS
REMOVAL
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
REVIEWS
SCRUBBING
SOLVOLYSIS
SURFACES
WARFARE
WASHING
WEAPONS