Russian technologies for CW destruction
Russian Technologies for CW Destruction
The essential requirement of the Convention when developing technologies for CW destruction is to provide human beings safety and environment protection. The Russian two-stage method has been acknowledged by the independent examination comission of IUPAC as a suitable one for destruction of chemical warfare agents.
Basic principles of Russian technology are:
Technological scheme of destruction of chemical munitions
Technology for destruction of organophosphorus chemical agents (Scheme 78,7 kb)
Technology for destruction of mustard and mustard-lewisite mixtures (Scheme 67,8 kb)
Technology for destruction of lewisite (Scheme 80,5 kb)
- Discreteness. The simultaneous participation in detoxication process of limited quantity of chemical agent, contained in one munition, that ensures its quick localization in an emergency. While the content of one munition is not sent to decontamination solution, the next munition will not be opened. The reaction products are being held in a reactor until then, while the analysis (a combination of biochemical and physicochemical methods) will not fix the absence of warfare agent in the reaction mass.
- Periodicity. Supply of next munitions batch to reaction chamber only after the completion of deactivation of chemical agent from previous batch.
- Two-stage method. As soon as the warfare chemical agent is completely destroyed the generated reaction mass is put on retreatment with obligatory use of other decontaminant. The stages can be separated in space and time, that creates certain advantages both in processing of reaction mass in product for commercial purposes, and in respect of conventional problems and creation of constructive public view around CW destruction facilities.
Technological scheme of destruction of chemical munitions
The first CW destruction stage Neutralization of chemical agent in munition by nucleophilic reagents Package destruction Roasting of munition's body |
The second CW destruction stage Treatment by calcium hydroxide in medium of bitumen at the temperature higher than 100°Ñ |
In result of this process reaction mass with mean lethal dose of LD50>1,500 mg/kg (the 3rd class of danger) is produced |
In result of this process bitumen-salt mass with mean lethal dose of LD50>5,000 mg/kg (the 4th class of danger) is produced |
Technology for destruction of organophosphorus chemical agents (Scheme 78,7 kb)
Technology for destruction of mustard and mustard-lewisite mixtures (Scheme 67,8 kb)
Technology for destruction of lewisite (Scheme 80,5 kb)