Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Common Aviation Textiles
Modern transportation systems are subject to unintentional contamination from infected passengers, as well as deliberate contamination from criminals and political adversaries. Hydrogen peroxide has been used for years as a disinfectant in the medical community and is under consideration in the dilute vapor form as a decontaminant/disinfectant/sterilant for transportation vehicles like aircraft, buses, subway trains, ambulances, etc. Although the biological efficacy of STERIS Corporation’s Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP® a registered trademark of the STERIS Corporation, Mentor, OH) technology has been demonstrated elsewhere, the compatibility of the process with typical aircraft materials has not been rigorously established. The present report documents a materials compatibility evaluation involving the effects of hydrogen peroxide exposure on the mechanical properties and flammability of the following commercial-grade textile materials: wool, nylon, polyester, Nomex®, and leather.
Comparison of wool bleaching with hydrogen peroxide in alkaline and acidic media
A merino wool top was bleached in both alkaline and acidic media, varying the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the bleaching bath. For the same peroxide concentration, bleaching in an alkaline medium leads to a whiter and more chemically attacked wool than bleaching in an acidic medium. For the same chemical attack, wool bleached in an alkaline medium is whiter than for bleaching in an acidic medium.
Separation and analysis of the surface lipids of the wool fiber
The lipid material extracted from the surface of wool fibers was analyzed. It was observed that the extract contained predominantly free fatty acids, suggesting that the anhydrous alkali used may have cleaved a specific component from the fiber surface. -- AATA