Catalyst for Destruction of Organophosphates from Air

Air filtration systems for individual and collective protection from chemical warfare (CW) agents must reduce all toxins to safe levels, while operating at a minimal volume, weight and power consumption. Organophosphates, including VX and the G-agents, pose a key challenge for any filter system. Current activated carbon filters have two major disadvantages: (1) their capacity is reduced by adsorption of water, and (2) adsorption does not chemically alter or detoxify the agents, so that the contaminated filters themselves are hazardous materials. The ideal filter system would destroy CW agents through a chemical reaction so that no hazardous materials remain. The chemical reaction should be unaffected by the presence of other materials that are likely to be in the air stream, including water vapor. For the best results, the reaction that destroys the CW agent should be catalytic, so that the capacity of the filter can be greater than that of filters that use a combination of physisorption and stoichiometric reactions. TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) here proposes to develop such a catalytic filter system. In Phase I we will synthesize and evaluate catalysts, and prepare filters containing the new catalysts.