Decontamination performance of air filter paper impregnated with zirconium hydroxide on sulfur mustard

Abstract

Using zirconium hydroxide as a decontaminant, a kind of self-decontaminating air filter paper that can effectively degrade HD was successfully prepared by impregnating. The morphology and filtration efficiency of the filter paper before and after immersing were compared. The filtration efficiency increased linearly and slowly, with the regression equation: η=0.0001L+99.971. The liquid-solid decontamination reaction of HD on zirconium hydroxide powder and self-decontaminating filter paper conformed to the kinetic of quasi-first-order reaction and found that half-lives were 0.4 h and 2.1 h respectively. Good degradation performance for HD was exhibited and the degradation rate reached more than 99 % in 12 hours. Reaction products were analysed by GC-MS, which displayed that HD was decomposed through the substitution of chlorine and the elimination of H on α-C. The ultimate decontamination products were thiodiglycol and 2-hydroxyethyl vinyl sulfide without erosive toxicity.