Process for the destruction of sulfur and nitrogen mustards and their homologous/analogous at ambient conditions
AssigneeKing Saud University
InventorsInas Muen Al Nashef, Saeed M. Al Zahrani
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Abstract
The subject invention provides a potentially economically viable process for the destruction of small to large quantities of sulfur and nitrogen mustards and lewisite, their homologous/analogues, and similar chemical warfare agents at ambient conditions without producing any toxic by-products. The process uses the superoxide ion that is either electrochemically generated by the reduction of oxygen in ionic liquids or chemically by dissolving Group 1 (alkali metals) or Group 2 (alkaline earth metals) superoxides, e.g. potassium superoxide, in ionic liquids.
Claims11
A method for the destruction of small to large quantities of one of a chemical warfare agent and a mixture of chemical warfare agents at ambient conditions without producing any toxic by-products, the method using a superoxide ion electrochemically generated by the reduction of oxygen in ionic liquids or chemically by dissolving Group 1 (alkali metals) or Group 2 (alkaline earth metals) superoxides, in one of an ionic liquid and a mixture of ionic liquids to react with the one of a chemical warfare agent and a mixture of chemical warfare agents, the ionic liquid and the mixture of ionic liquids each composed of a cation and an anion, the cation including one of the following:
- imidazolium, with di or tri substitution;
- pyrrolidinium, with di or tri substitution;
- pyridinium, with di or tri substitution;
- phosphonium;
- sulfonium;
- or ammonium;
- and the anion including one of the following:
- phosphates or substituted phosphates;
- sulfates or substituted sulfates;
- acetates or substituted sulfates, sulfonates or substituted sulfonates, halide [Cl−, Br−, I−], nitrate [NO3−], acetate [CH3CO2−], trifluoroacetate [CF3CO2−], or triflate [CF3SO3−].
A method for the destruction of small to large quantities of a chemical warfare agent or mixture of chemical warfare agents at ambient conditions without producing any toxic by-products, the method comprising:
- a) mixing the chemical warfare agent or mixture of chemical warfare agents with an ionic liquid or a mixture of ionic liquids, the ionic liquid or the mixture of ionic liquids consisting of a cation and an anion;
- the cation including one of the following:
- imidazolium, with di or tri substitution;
- pyrrolidinium, with di or tri substitution;
- pyridinium, with di or tri substitution;
- phosphonium;
- sulfonium;
- or ammonium;
- the anion including one of the following:
- phosphates or substituted phosphates;
- sulfonates or substituted sulfonates;
- a halide [Cl−, Br−, I−];
- a nitrate [NO3−];
- a trifluoroacetate [CF3CO2−];
- a triflate [CF3SO3−];
- b) maintaining the mixture of step a) at ambient temperature;
- and
- c) generating, via electrochemical generation, a superoxide ion in the mixture by a reduction of oxygen in the mixture, the superoxide ion generated in situ configured to destroy the chemical warfare agents.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.