Method and apparatus to destroy chemical warfare agents
AssigneeCommodore Applied Technologies, Inc.
InventorsAlbert E. Abel, Robert W. Mouk, Alan F. Heyduk, Bentley J. Blum, Gerry D. Getman, Mark D. Steskal
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Abstract
Chemical warfare agents, including vesicants and nerve agents distributed throughout the world, are destroyed when chemically reacted according to the method and utilizing the apparatus of this invention. The method comprises reacting the chemical warfare agents with nitrogenous base, optionally containing solvated electrons which are conveniently produced by dissolving an active metal like sodium in a nitrogenous base such as anhydrous liquid ammonia.
Claims34
A method for destroying a chemical warfare agent, which method comprises the steps of
- (A) creating a reaction mixture prepared from raw materials which include:
- (1) nitrogenous base;
- (2) at least one chemical warfare agent selected from the group consisting of vesicants, nerve agents, cyanogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide, phosgene, chlorine and mixtures thereof, said vesicants containing at least one group of the formula:
- ##STR13## in which X is halogen;
- said nerve agents being represented by the formula:
- ##STR14## in which R.sub.1 is alkyl, R.sub.2 is selected from alkyl and amino, and Y is a leaving group, and
- (3) active metal in an amount sufficient to destroy said chemical warfare agent;
- and
- (B) reacting said mixture, said reaction mixture comprising solvated electrons.
A method for destroying a chemical warfare agent which comprises
- (A) creating a reaction mixture prepared from raw materials which include:
- (1) nitrogenous base selected from the group consisting of ammonia, amines, and mixtures thereof;
- said amines being selected from the group consisting of methylamine, ethylamine, propylamine, isopropylamine, butylamine, and ethylenediamine;
- (2) at least one chemical warfare agent selected from the group consisting of vesicants, nerve agents, and mixtures thereof, the formula of said vesicants containing at least one group of the formula:
- ##STR15## in which X is halogen;
- said nerve agents being represented by the formula:
- ##STR16## in which R.sub.1 is alkyl, R.sub.2 is selected from alkyl and amino, and Y is a leaving group;
- and
- (3) at least one active metal selected from Groups IA and IIA of the Periodic Table and mixtures thereof;
- and
- (B) reacting the mixture to destroy at least about 90 percent by weight of the chemical warfare agent.
A method for destroying a chemical warfare agent, which method comprises
- (A) creating a reaction mixture in a reaction vessel included within a reactor system prepared from raw materials which include:
- (1) nitrogenous base;
- (2) at least one chemical warfare agent selected from the group consisting of vesicants and nerve agents and mixtures thereof, said vesicants containing at least one group of the formula:
- ##STR17## in which X is halogen;
- said nerve agents being represented by the formula:
- ##STR18## in which R.sub.1 is alkyl, R.sub.2 is selected from alkyl and amino, and Y is a leaving group, and
- (3) active metal in an amount sufficient to destroy the chemical warfare agent;
- and
- (B) reacting said mixture, said reaction mixture comprising solvated electrons.
A method for destroying a chemical warfare agent selected from the group consisting of vesicants, nerve agents, and mixtures thereof, the formula of said vesicants containing at least one group of the formula:
- ##STR19## in which X is halogen;
- said nerve agents being represented by the formula:
- ##STR20## in which R.sub.1 is alkyl, R.sub.2 is selected from alkyl and amino, and Y is a leaving group, which method comprises:
- (A) providing a reactor system which includes
- (1) a reaction vessel to receive the chemical warfare agent;
- (2) a solvator for dissolving active metal in nitrogenous base to produce a solution of solvated electrons;
- (3) a condenser for treating gas evolved from the reaction vessel;
- (4) a decanter to receive slurried reaction products from the reaction vessel and separate the reaction products into a liquid fraction and a solid fraction;
- and
- (5) a dissolver for contacting the solid fraction with water to produce a fluid mixture;
- (B) continuously charging the solvator with nitrogenous base and active metal, and continuously introducing the solution into the reaction vessel;
- (C) continuously introducing chemical warfare agent into the reaction vessel;
- (D) continuously recovering nitrogenous base from the evolved gas and introducing the recovered nitrogeneous base into the solvator as makeup;
- (E) continuously receiving slurried reaction products in the decanter and continuously separating the reaction products into a solid fraction and a liquid fraction;
- (F) continuously introducing the liquid fraction into to the solvator as makeup;
- and
- (G) continuously contacting the solid fraction with water in the dissolver, producing the fluid mixture;
- wherein the fluid mixture contains less than about 10 percent by weight of the chemical warfare agent introduced into the reaction vessel.
A reactor system for conducting a chemical reaction between an organic compound and a reagent including solvated electrons, the system comprising
- a reaction vessel to contain said organic compound in admixture with said solvated electron-containing reagent;
- a condenser for treating gas evolved from the reaction vessel;
- a decanter for receiving reaction products from the reaction vessel and separating the reaction products into a liquid fraction and a solid fraction;
- and
- a dissolver for receiving the solid fraction and treating it with water, producing a fluid mixture for further disposition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.