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AssigneeParsons Corporation
InventorsJohn A. Scott, James D. Osterloh
Estimating the term…
A process for the low temperature, non-incineration decontamination of contaminated materials, such as chemical weapon components containing residual quantities of chemical warfare agents. The process includes the steps of (a) preparing a feed mixture containing the chemical weapon components and organic materials; (b) contacting the feed mixture with steam at substantially ambient pressure in a substantially dry first heated vessel for a period of at least about 15 minutes, the steam being at a temperature of at least about 560° C., (b) removing condensible and non-condensible gases from the first heated vessel and heating them in a second vessel at substantially ambient pressures to temperatures of at least about 500° C. for a period of at least about one second in an atmosphere containing steam in a concentration greater than about 250% of stoichiometry, and (c) catalytically treating non-condensible gases from the second vessel in the presence of oxygen so as to reduce the concentration of chemical warfare agents to less than about 1.0 mg/m3 at standard temperature and pressure.
A process for the low temperature, non-incineration decontamination of contaminated metal components containing small amounts of hazardous agents, the process comprising:
A process for the low temperature, non-incineration decontamination of chemical metal components containing small amounts of chemical warfare agents, the process comprising:
A process for the low temperature, non-incineration decontamination of contaminated metal components having chemical warfare agents, the process comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Processes for making harmful chemical substances harmless or less harmful, by effecting a chemical change in the substances: by hydropyrolysis or…
By reacting with chemical agents: by oxidation; by combustion
Harmful chemical substances made harmless, or less harmful, by effecting chemical change: chemical warfare substances, e.g. cholinesterase inhibitors
Aspects of processes for making harmful chemical substances harmless, or less harmful, by effecting chemical change in the substances: combined…
Term end not estimated
This invention relates generally to processes for decontaminating contaminated materials, such as chemical weapon components, and, more specifically, to processes for decontaminating contaminated materials without using incineration methods.
The decontaminating of contaminated material can be very difficult. This is especially the case with respect to the decommissioning of chemical weapons carrying chemical warfare agents. The principal problem in this regard is how to safely remove, neutralize and dispose of the extremely toxic chemical warfare agents used in such chemical weapons. Modern technology has become increasingly successful in the neutralization of these chemical warfare agents—once the agents have been removed from the chemical weapon housing. However, after the bulk of the chemical warfare agents have been removed from the chemical weapons housings, the housings and their various components typically remain contaminated with residual amounts of the chemical warfare agents. The decontamination of these chemical weapon components remains a difficult problem.
Most prior art methods for decontaminating chemical weapon components have employed a two-step process. In a first step, the components are subjected to liquid chemicals or to high temperatures to remove and decompose essentially all of the chemical warfare agents adhering to the chemical weapon components. In a second step, residual vapors from the first step are incinerated to eliminate any and all residual chemical warfare agents in those vapors.
These features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying figures where:
FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram illustrating the process of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional side view of flushing apparatus useable in the invention;
The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention and several variations of that embodiment. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well.
The invention is a process for the low temperature, non-incineration decontamination of contaminated materials containing small amounts of hazardous agents. By “hazardous agents,” it is meant any chemical compound or material which is considered harmful to humans and/or other life forms. Hazardous agents are typically organic in nature, but can also be toxic metals or metal compounds which are volatilized at temperatures between 560° C. and 700° C. Such metals include mercury and lead.
The invention is especially applicable to the decontamination of chemical weapon components, wherein the hazardous agents are chemical warfare agents. By the term “chemical warfare agents,” it is meant any chemical which, through its chemical action on life processes, can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm to humans or animals.