• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.434-442
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• 2022

Highly toxic chemical warfare agents(CWA) could be used in chemical warfare and terrorism. The protection of skin is crucial for civilians and soldiers, because the primary routes of exposure to CWA are inhalation and skin absorption. Thus, topical skin protectants(TSP) have been studied and developed in many countries to complement protective equipments. In this study, in-vitro test procedure was optimized and established using a flow-through diffusion cell system containing excised hairless mouse skin in an attempt to assess the effectiveness of various TSP formulations against nerve agent simulants. In addition, the test results on the formulations including the ingredients used in SERPACWA(Skin Exposure Reduction Paste Against Chemical Warfare Agent) and IB-1(TSP of Israel) were included, indicating that the formulations with perfluorinated compounds were more effective than the glycerin-based formulations.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.116-122
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• 2007

A 2-step process for the safe disposal of chemical warfare agents(agent hydrolysis followed by incineration In the submerged-quench incinerator) was studied to obtain basic data for the design of pilot plant in the future. Sample materials used for the hydrolysis reaction were sarin(GB), sulfur mustard (HD), and methylphosphonic difluoride(DF). The hydrolysates of these materials were thermally destroyed in a submerged-quench incineration system. Experimental conditions for achieving destruction efficiency of 99.99% in both steps were established and phosphoric acid was recovered from the waste water when destroying DF hydrolysate in the incinerator. Treated water could be reused as process water for the agent hydrolysis.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.243-247
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• 2019

We have developed a compact, wavelength-selectable, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at mid ultraviolet for chemical warfare agent detection. The fundamental wave at 1064 nm is delivered by a pulsed solid state laser incorporating with a square-type Nd:YAG rod in a resonator closed by two crossed Porro prisms for environmental reliability. The output energy at 213 nm ($5{\omega}$) and 266 nm ($4{\omega}$) by ${\chi}^{(2)}$ process in the sequentially disposed BBO crystals are measured to be 6.8 mJ and 15.1 mJ, respectively. The output wavelength is selected for $5{\omega}$ and $4{\omega}$ by a motorized wavelength switch. The energy ratio of the $5{\omega}$ to the $4{\omega}$ is varied from 0.05 to 0.85 by controlling the phase matching temperature of the nonlinear crystal for sum-frequency generation without change of the output pulse parameters.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.719-725
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• 2019

In this study, activated carbon fibers were treated with oxygen plasma to investigate gas sensing properties of the dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), which is a simulant gas of the chemical warfare agent, according to oxygen functional group contents. As the flow rate of oxygen plasma treatment increased, oxygen groups were introduced to the surface of activated carbon fibers from 6.90 up to 36.6%, increasing the -OH group which influences the DMMP gas sensing properties. However, as the flow rate of oxygen plasma increases, the specific surface area tends to decrease because etching on the surface of activated carbon fibers occurs due to active species generated during the oxygen plasma treatment. The resistance change rate of the DMMP gas sensor increased from 4.2 up to 25.1% as the oxygen plasma treatment flow rate increased. This is attributed to the hydrogen bonding between DMMP gas and introduced hydroxyl functional group on activated carbon fibers by the oxygen plasma treatment. Therefore, the oxygen plasma is considered to be one of the important surface treatment methods for detecting chemical warfare agents at room temperature.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.612-620
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• 2015

Short-range detection of chemical agents deposited on ground surface using a standoff Raman system employing a pulsed laser at 248 nm is described. Mounted in a vehicle such as an NBC reconnaissance vehicle, the system is protected against toxic chemicals. As most chemicals including chemical warfare agents have unique Raman spectra, the spectra can be used for detecting toxic chemicals contaminated on the ground. This article describes the design of the Raman spectroscopic system and its performance on several chemicals contaminated on asphalt, concrete, sand, etc.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.54-64
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• 2021

The chemical warfare agents (CWAs) have been developed for offensive or defensive purposes and used as chemical weapons in war and terrorism. The CWAs are exposed to the natural environment, transported through the water system and then eventually contaminate soil and groundwater. Therefore, effective decontamination technology to remediate CWAs are needed. The CWAs are extremely dangerous and prodution is strictly prohibited, therefore, it is difficult to use CWAs even in experimental purpose. In this study, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was chosen as a model representative CWA because it is a simulant of anti-plant CWAs and one of the major component of agent orange. The optimum degradation conditions such as oxidant:activator ratio were determined. The effects of hydroxylamine and chelating agents such as citric acid (CA), oxalic acid (OA), malic acid (MA), and EDTA addition to increase Fe2+ activation were also investigated. Scavenger experiments using tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and ethanol confirmed that although both sulfate (SO4•-) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) existed in Fe2+-persulfate system, sulfate radical was the predominant radical. To promote the Fe2+ activator effect, the effect of hydroxylamine as a reducing agent was investigated. In chelating agents assisted Fe2+-persulfate oxidation, the addition of 2 mM of CA and MA enhanced 2,4-D degradation. In contrast, EDTA and OA inhibited the 2,4-D removal due to steric hindrance effect.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.457-458
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• 2003

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.96-102
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• 2020

Recently, it was reported that chitosan or APTMS(3-aminopropyltrimethoxysila ne) treatment to cotton using the simple pad-dry-cure method has potential to prepare textile materials for military chemical warfare protective clothing. However, it is not confirmed which method is more efficient. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively compare detoxification properties of chitosan treated cotton fabric with those of APTMS treated cotton fabric. Detoxification properties were evaluated using the well-known organic phosphorous nerve agent stimulant, diisopropylfluorophosphate(DF P). With the same amount of chitosan and APTMS on the surface of the cotton fabrics, APTMS treated cotton fabric exhibited 10% higher detoxification properties than chitosan treated cotton fabric based on the rate of DFP hydrolysis and half-live of DFP calculated from the DFP decontamination ratios of the treated cotton fabrics through time. Therefore, APTMS treatment can be more efficient method to prepare the textile materials for military protective clothing than chitosan treatment.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.528-534
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• 2024

In continuous research of detecting highly toxic chemical warfare agents to ensure preparedness for the future battlefield, flexible and wearable sensor platforms with high sensitivity are still demanding. Herein we demonstrate a facile fabrication of polypyrrole-based chemiresistors on cellulose paper for the detection of nerve gas simulants. In order to optimize electrical properties of sensor platform, conducting polymer made of polypyrrole were first synthesized on flexible cellulose paper and interdigitated electrodes were formed thereon. Following confirmation of polypyrrole and/or oxime moiety through FT-IR analyses, electrical characteristics were measured in the various ratio of monomers between simple pyrrole and oxime-modified one. Typically for the optimized chemiresistor(2:8 molar ratio of simple pyrrole and oxime-modified one), eleven species of chemical warfare agents were examined and enhanced conductivity(10⁴~10⁵ order) was observed for three simulants(diethyl cyanophosphonate, diisopropyl fluorophosphonate and diethyl chlorophosphonate), which was mainly attributed to intermolecular hydrogen bonding, while no significant responses was recorded against sixteen common volatile organic chemicals.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2019

In this report, nano-sized catalysts were introduced onto fabric surface to eliminate toxic chemicals assisted by physical adsorption. For chemical removal of toxic compounds, a series of zirconium-containing catalysts were synthesized and treated on fabric to catalyze the hydrolysis and oxidation of target molecules. Antimicrobial was also introduced for the research purpose to prove the compatibility of as-synthesized catalysts with other solutions. Zirconium ligated with hydroxyl group and MOF(Metal-Organic Frameworks) were exploited as catalyst for removal of toxic compounds, while zinc complex was used for an antimicrobial to culminate in a chemical shield. Once fabrics were functionalized, fabrics were washed 2 or 5 times for a washing durability test. The amount of catalyst in textile were measured by ICP-MS and weight increasing ratio of fabrics.