L-Gel Formulation and Decontamination Reaction of Its Active Ingredient (Oxone) Against Mustard and VX Nerve Agent Simulants

Abstract

L-Gel is an effective decontamination reagent against chemical and biological warfare agents. To achieve optimized formulation of L-Gel, several formulations with different proportional amounts of oxone (oxidizer) and Cab-O-Sil (gelling agent) were prepared and their viscosities and densities were measured. Final optimized formulation of gel was obtained as a 0.25 M aqueous solution of oxone gelled with 13%W/W of Cab-O-Sil EH-5. The L-Gel active ingredient (oxone) was tested against O,O,S-triethyl phosphorothioate (TEPT) as VX simulant and methyl phenyl sulfide (MPS) and chloroethyl phenyl sulfide (CEPS) as HD simulants. Decontamination of TEPT by a 10-fold excess amount of oxone was completed within 7.5 min with a kinetic rate constant of 0.097 S⁻¹. In the presence of oxone, MPS was converted to methyl phenyl sulfoxide and methyl phenyl sulfone with a higher reaction rate than CEPS, decontaminated product of which was chloroethyl phenyl sulfone.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• L-Gel
• oxone
• Cab-O-Sil EH-5 fumed silica
• decontamination
• VX nerve agent simulant
• mustard simulant