Low-cost, portable, flameless-heater-powered thermo-chemical decontamination system for facemasks and other types of personal protection equipment (PPE)

A method comprising:

• placing liquid to be vaporized during a decontamination process in an internal volume of a containment vessel comprising:
• a base disposed within the internal volume;
• a liquid reservoir disposed within the internal volume and below the base;
• and
• one or more platforms disposed within the internal volume and above the base and configured to hold one or more pieces of personal protection equipment, wherein each of the one or more platforms comprises one or more racks extending from an edge of the respective platform;
• placing the one or more pieces of personal protection equipment within the internal volume of the containment vessel;
• sealing the internal volume of the containment vessel;
• activating one or more flameless heaters to generate heat without a flame;
• enclosing, in a thermal pouch, the containment vessel and the one or more flameless heaters;
• closing and sealing an opening of the thermal pouch using a pouch closure, wherein closing and sealing the opening of the thermal pouch using the pouch closure comprises:
• closing the opening of the thermal pouch using a zipper;
• and
• connecting a hook and loop faster across and over the zipper;
• decontaminating the one or more pieces of personal protection equipment by heating the one or more pieces of personal protection equipment in the sealed internal volume of the containment vessel using the heat generated by one or more flameless heaters;
• providing, using a thermal sensor or indicator disposed on the thermal pouch, an indication of whether a temperature of gas in the thermal pouch has reached a temperature threshold for non-damaging decontamination in the containment vessel and a second indication of whether a temperature of the gas in the thermal pouch has reached a temperature that may potentially damage the personal protection equipment;
• and
• providing, using a second thermal sensor or indicator disposed on the containment vessel, an indication of whether the temperature of the gas in the thermal pouch has reached the temperature threshold for non-damaging decontamination in the containment vessel.