N-chloramide modified Nomex® as a regenerable self-decontaminating material for protection against chemical warfare agents

Recent interest in the treatment of textiles for chemical and biological agent defense has led to the creation of materials that contain N-chloramide moieties. These materials have demonstrated efficacy against weaponizable bacteria, mustard, and VX, as well as possessing antimicrobial properties against nuisance organisms that cause conditions such as athlete’s foot or molds. Here, N-chloramides have been attached to Nomex® intended for use as self-decontaminating regenerable military textiles. The materials were assayed for content of active oxidizing agent, and tested for efficacy against 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide and Demeton-S, simulants for mustard and VX, respectively. The decomposition products for each reaction were identified as well as reaction pathways to form each by-product as correlated to analogous products of mustard and VX. Furthermore, the rate constant for the neutralization of each simulant on the reactive material was calculated from data collected by GC-MS and ATR-FTIR real-time studies.