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.
Analysis of Removal and Decomposition Pathways of Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP) for Aircraft Decontamination Operation
In response to possible terrorist attacks and epidemic/pandemic diseases, there is a need for efficient infection control and sanitization of airliners. Use of vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) is a promising method to achieve the goal. However, the impact of disposed VHP on atmospheric environment after decontamination operation needs to be fully understood to avoid any detrimental consequence caused by airliner decontamination. This paper analyzed the removal and decomposition pathways of VHP in the atmosphere, including physical and chemical pathways. Absorption by water droplets in atmosphere and photolytic decay mechanisms have been investigated. The results show that the uptake to water droplets in the air appears to be a major pathway for the removal of VHP.
DCCA Shrinkproofing of Wool
In Part I, 20% owf DCCA treatment of wool fabric provided complete shrinkage control, but yellowness and deterioration of fabric handle resulted. In Part II, a mod ified 20% owf DCCA treatment overcomes these limitations. This is an improvement over the conventional two-step process in which DCCA chlorination is followed by resin application to prevent shrinkage in wool fabrics. In step 1 of the treatment, gluconic acid (GA) is applied with DCCA. After neutralization and antichlorination, GA is applied with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The role of GA is to moderate the harsh effects of DCCA and H2O2 as documented by scanning electron micrographs of the fibers and improved surface properties of the fabrics. Although the level of DCCA is high, all released chlorine is consumed, and residual chlorine found in spent baths is less than 2%. This modified DCCA system can serve as a model for choosing components when designing alternative systems to chlorination for shrinkage control.