NON-DESTRUCTIVE REACTIVATION OF CHEMICAL WARFARE PROTECTIVE GARMENTSAND WRAPS

YURING PRACTICE MANEUVERS THE ARMED FORCES FREQUENTLY USE CHEMICAL PROTECTIVE GARMENTS IN WHICH ACTIVATED CARBON, THE OPERATIVE COMPONENT OF CW GARMENTS, IS RENDERED USELESS BY DIRT, EXHAUST FUMES, SWEAT, SMOKE, AND VAPOR POISONING. AT PRESENT THERE IS NO NON-DESTRUCTIVE METHOD OF REACTIVATING THE CARBON AFTER CONTAMINATION;CW GARMENTS ARE NOT REUSEABLE AND MUST BE DISCARDED. THERE IS A TREMENDOUS LOSS OF RESOURCES AND MONEY INVOLVED IN DISCARDING, AND REPLACING CW GARMENTS USED IN DRILLS, TRAINING, MANEUVERS, AND FALSE ALARMS IN COMBAT SITUATIONS. THE PROPOSED METHOD OF REACTIVATING THE CONTAMINATED ACTIVATED CARBON INVOLVES, FIRST, A SIMPLE LAUNDERING PROCESS TO ELIMINATE DIRT, STAIN AND GREASE. NEXT THE GARMENT IS TREATED WITH A POWERFUL DISPLACING AGENT WHICH WILL DESORB THE HYDROCARBONS, CONTAMINANTS, AND OTHER ADSORBATES IN THE ACTIVATED CARBON. THE DISPLACING AGENT AND THE ENTRAPPED WATER VAPOR CAN THEN BE REMOVED BY LOWERING THE BOILING POINT THROUGH VACUUM EVAPORATION. THE HEAT LOSS DUE TO EVAPORATION IS REPLENISHED BY A LOW DUTY CYCLE MICROWAVE HEATING METHOD. THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DISPLACING AGENT CAN BE RECOVERED AND REUSED BY MEANS OF A COLD TRAP.