Development of a Low-temperature Catalytic Oxidation System for Destruction of Chemical Warfare Agents

This project is to develop a low-temperature microwave catalytic oxidation system that will effectively decontaminate air containing aerosolized or gaseous chemical agents (CWAs). To protect personnel in shelters, catalytic oxidation systems should (1) destroy CWAs in air at low temperatures to avoid NOx formation, (2) remove sulfur dioxide produced from the oxidation of CWAs containing sulfur atoms, (3) operate for an indefinite period of time, and (4) destroy biological agents at low temperatures. This system will be used to supply clean breathing air to a bunker or other facility in a war zone that has been contaminated with chemical weapons. This work will be performed in two phases. Phase I of the experimental effort is to obtain the data needed to design and fabricate a prototype CWA catalytic oxidation system. During Phase II work the prototype microwave air decontamination system will be constructed and tested both at CHA Corporation and at a selected location to demonstrate the effectiveness of the microwave air decontamination system. Experimental results obtained to date indicate that microwave catalytic oxidation will be capable of destroying more than 99.5% of CWAs in air.