title: Reactions of sulphur mustard on impregnated carbons.
abstract: Activated carbon of surface area 1100 m2/gm is impregnated with 4% sodium hydroxide plus 3% Cr(VI) as CrO3 with and without 5% ethylene diamine (EDA), 4% magnesium nitrate and 5% ruthenium chloride by using their aqueous solutions. These carbons are characterized for surface area analysis by BET conventional method and exposed to the vapours of sulphur mustard (HD) at room temperature (30 degrees C). After 24 h, the reaction products are extracted in dichloromethane and analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Hemisulphur mustard, thiodiglycol, 1,4-oxathiane are observed to be the products of reaction between sulphur mustard and NaOH/CrO3/C system, whereas on NaOH/CrO3/EDA/C system HD reacted to give 1,4-thiazane. On Mg(NO3)2/C system it gave hemisulphur mustard and thiodiglycol. On RuCl3/C system it degraded to divinyl sulphone. Residual sulphur mustard is observed along with reaction products in all systems studied. Reaction mechanisms are also proposed for these interesting surface reactions. Above-mentioned carbons can be used in filtration systems for protection against hazardous gases such as sulphur mustard.
authors.affiliation: Defense Research and Development Establishment, Jhansi Road, Gwalior 474002, Madhya Pradesh, India. gkprasad@lycos.com
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: Beer
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002857:Chromium / Q000737:chemistry; D005029:Ethylenediamines / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D017616:Magnesium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009566:Nitrates / Q000737:chemistry; D017975:Ruthenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D005029:Ethylenediamines; D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D009566:Nitrates; D017975:Ruthenium Compounds; D002857:Chromium; C074702:chromium hexavalent ion; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; C031234:ethylenediamine; D002244:Carbon; C018330:magnesium nitrate; C038365:ruthenium chloride; D009151:Mustard Gas