Facile Fabric Detoxification Treatment Method Using Microwave and Polyethyleneimine Against Nerve Gas Agents

Abstract

Generally, detoxification fabrics are defined as fabrics that remove or inhibit the production of toxic compounds, especially chemical warfare agents such as nerve gas agents. They are usually prepared using a complicated and time-consuming method. This study suggests a facile treatment method for preparing detoxification fabrics against nerve gas agents using polyethyleneimine and microwave curing. The detoxification properties of polyethyleneimine and microwave-treated polypropylene nonwoven fabric were evaluated using diisopropylfluoro-phosphate, which is a nerve agent simulant. The treated polypropylene fabric decontaminated 53.6% of diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) in 2 h at 32 °C, and the half-life of DFP on the surface of the treated fabric was 122 min. The result indicates that the treated fabric can act as a basic organocatalyst for the DFP hydrolysis and has a shorter half-life owing to the large number of amine groups. Therefore, the facile treatment method has the potential for use in the preparation of detoxification fabrics.