Process for the non-incineration decontamination of materials containing hazardous agents

A process for the low temperature, non-incineration decontamination of chemical weapon components containing chemical warfare agents, the process comprising:

• (a) contacting the chemical weapon components and the chemical warfare agents 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., whereby essentially all of the chemical warfare agents are removed from the chemical weapon components;
• (b) removing a first gaseous discharge stream containing chemical warfare agents from the first heated vessel, the first gaseous discharge stream comprising a condensible moiety and a non-condensible moiety;
• (c) heating the first gaseous discharge stream at substantially ambient pressure in a substantially dry second vessel to at least about 500° C. and maintaining the first gaseous discharge stream in the second vessel of at least about 500° C. for a period of at least about one second in an atmosphere containing sufficient steam so that at least about 99.99 wt. % of the chemical warfare agents within the first gaseous discharge stream are converted to non-chemical warfare agents;
• (d) removing a second gaseous discharge stream containing a reduced concentration of chemical warfare agents from the second vessel, the second gaseous discharge stream comprising a condensible moiety and a non-condensible moiety;
• (e) passing the second gaseous discharge stream through a condenser wherein the condensible moiety of the second gaseous discharge stream is condensed to condensate having a concentration of chemical warfare agents less than about 100 mg/l;
• (f) increasing the pH of the condensate to at least about 8.0 so as to reduce the concentration of chemical warfare agents within the condensate to less than about 1.0 mg/l;
• and
• (g) treating the non-condensible moiety of the second gaseous discharge stream with activated charcoal, so that the concentration of chemical warfare agents within the non-condensible moiety of the second gaseous discharge stream is reduced to less than about 1.0 mg/m3 at standard temperature and pressure.