Development of Novel Alternative Technologies for Decontamination of Warfare Agents: Electric Heating with Intrinsically Conductive Polymers

摘要

So far, all the systems developed for detoxification and decontamination of chemical and biological weapons have been based on the use of chemical or biological agents. Here, we have demonstrated a novel, simple, non- chemical/biological, multipurpose, re-useable, low-cost, alternative technology for decontamination based on electric heating with conducting polymers. The basic concept is that electrically conducting polymers, such as polyaniline, can be used as coatings or fabrics on military equipment (e.g., tanks, personnel carriers, artillery pieces, etc.) and installations (e.g., buildings and other structures); and that the conducting polymers function as heating elements to convert applied electric energy to thermal energy, which would raise the surface temperature of the coatings and fabrics high enough to thermally decompose the chemical or biological warfare agents on the equipment or installations. This concept has been established by the fact that applying household alternating current to the polyaniline-coated panels resulted in a rapid increase in the surface temperature to 120-180 degrees Celsius in a few minutes. The system is very easy to fabricate and re-usable and can undergo several heating-cooling cycles without significant damage.