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APPLICATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE U.S. CHEMICAL WEAPONS 186 STOCKPILE The first two types of technologies are discussed in more detail in Chapter 6, the remainder in Chapter 7. Table 8-1 provides summary information on the applicability and status of all these destruction technologies. Comments on them follow. Low-Temperature, Low-Pressure, Liquid-Phase Detoxification Reaction in high Ph (alkaline or basic) solution offers the potential to convert all three agents in the U.S. chemical stockpile to products of much lower toxicity, that is, such reactions can be used for detoxification: ⢠The agent GB has been detoxified by using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in the United States and worldwide. ⢠Limited laboratory studies suggest that the agent VX can be detoxified if hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is added to the NaOH. ⢠Agent HD has been successfully detoxified by calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) at a higher temperature (90° to 100°C). ⢠When an alcohol or ethanolamine is used as solvent instead of water it is believed that all three agents will be detoxified. Reactions in low pH (acidic) solutions make use of oxidizing agents (Cl2, peracids, or hypochlorite). All three agents should be treatable in this manner, but little information was found except for VX. Application to HD was ineffective under the conditions used because of poor contact between reacting chemical species. At ambient temperatures HD solubility is very low. Its high viscosity, when it contains thickeners, makes adequate contact with aqueous solutions difficult. Yet HD is quite reactive, and with an adequate extent of HD- aqueous phase interface, many of the reactions useful for GB are likely to be effective with HD. High interfacial surface area can be obtained by high-energy physical dispersion or use of emulsifying agents. The latter approach, for microemulsions, requires about equal quantities of agent and emulsifier, which will increase the amount of organic waste. Operations at 70° to 100°C may alleviate the phase interface problem, as illustrated by the success of the Ca(OH)2 treatment discussed in Chapter 6. Physical dispersion may still be required for the gelled HD found in the stockpile. Although the above reactions convert agent to less toxic compounds, some of the reaction products could be converted back to the original agent. They would not, therefore, meet the treaty demilitarization requirements of irreversibility while stored. However, they would be more suitable as a feed
TABLE 8-1 Summary of Process Capabilities and Status Stream Treated Agent Metal and Energetics STOCKPILE Process Initial Agent Complete Organic Need Gas Energetics Metal Afterburner Needed Next Step Comments Detox Oxidization Afterburner Low-temperature, Low-pressure detoxification Base hydrolysis GB No ? No No N.A. pp Has been used in (NaOH) field; for HD, limited by contacting problems NaOH + H2O2 VX No Yes No No N.A. Lab New finding Ca(OH)2(at 100°C) HD No ? No No N.A. Lab/pp Limited use in England KOH + ethanol HD, GB, VX No ? No No N.A. Lab Hypochlorite ion HD No Yes No No N.A. Lab Difficult contacting problem with HD Organic base GB, HD, No ? No No N.A. Lab/pp Limited use in (ethanolamine) possibly VX Russia; increase in organic waste Acidic systems HCl hydrolysis GB No ? No No N.A. Lab/pp Peracid salts VX, perhaps No Yes No No N.A. Lab/pp Increased waste (OXONE, others) GB and HD Chlorine VX, perhaps No Yes No No N.A. Lab/pp Increased GB and HD inorganic waste Ionizing radiation All No ? Yes? Yes? ? Lab High conversion not yet established APPLICATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE U.S. CHEMICAL WEAPONS 187
Stream Treated Agent Metal and Energetics Process Initial Agent Complete Organic Need Gas Energetics Metal Afterburner Next Step Comments Detox Oxidization Afterburner Needed STOCKPILE Low-temperature, low- pressure oxidation Peroxydisulfate, ClO2, All Yes Yes No No N.A. Lab Catalysts generally H2O2 , O3 needed for complete complete conversion; spent peroxydisulfate can be electrochemically regenerated UV light with O3 and N.A. Yes Yes No No N.A. pp Very large power H2O2 requirement; applications have been for very dilute solutions Electrochemical All Yes Yes No No N.A. Lab oxidation Biological oxidation N.A. Yes Yes No No N.A. Lab Moderate-temperature, high-pressure oxidation Wet air and All Partially Yes Yes? No Yes pp Residual organic supercritical water components can be low oxidation for supercritical; residual materials are believed suitable for biodegradation APPLICATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE U.S. CHEMICAL WEAPONS 188
Stream Treated Agent Metal and Energetics Process Initial Agent Complete Organic Need Gas Energetics Metal Afterburner Needed Next Step Comments Detox Oxidization Afterburner STOCKPILE High-temperature, low- pressure pyrolysis Kiln (external heat) All Partially Yes Yes Yes Yes Demo May need more than one unit to deal with all streams Molten metal All No Yes Yes? Yes Yes pp Plasma are All No Yes Yes? Yes Yes Lab/pp Steam reforming All Yes Yes No? No Yes Lab/pp High-temperature, low- pressure oxidation Catalytic, fixed bed N.A. N.A. N.A. No No No Lab/pp Useful for afterburner Catalytic, fluidized bed All Yes Yes Yes No Yes pp Molten salt All Yes Yes Yes? No Yes pp Possible use for afterburner and acid gas removal Combustion All Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes â Baseline technology Other technologies Hydrogenation All No Yes No No No Lab Reactions with sulfur All Yes Yes No No No Lab NOTE: Question mark (?) indicates uncertainty about the noted application. N.A., not applicable; pp, pilot plant; demo, demonstration; lab, laboratory. APPLICATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE U.S. CHEMICAL WEAPONS 189