Potential Usage of Aqueous Alum for Decomposition of Chemical Warfare Agents Part 1: Reactions with V- and G-Type Agents

摘要

The objective of this research is to hydrolyze and precipitate G- and V-type CW agents using aluminum sulfate (alum) and/or alum buffer solutions. Soman (GD), O-ethyl-S-2- (DIISOPROPYLAMINO)ETHYL methylphosphonothiolate (VX), and agent simulants were treated with either aqueous alum, sodium aluminate, or mixtures of the two. Reactions were tracked using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A basic alum buffer at pH 12.0 and an acidic alum buffer at pH 3.6 were used for most of the studies. VX was unaffected by the acidic buffer, but GD was eliminated from the aqueous acidic buffer within 18 hr, with nearly 50% removed within the first 10 min. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry confirmed that, after 24 hr, a chloroform extract of the precipitate formed in this reaction contained.