1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electromagnetic surface waves, and in particular, a method for decontaminating a surface using electromagnetic surface waves.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,531,537 entitled “Prepaints and methods of preparing paints from the prepaints,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,461 entitled “Paint compositions for high infra-red reflectivity with a low gloss property,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,906 entitled “Urethane coating composition,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/989,120 entitled “Composition of a thermaly insulating coating system,” all of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose a paint that may be used as a chemical agent resistant coating. The chemical resistance coating is designed to be treated with deactivating chemicals and will not protect itself from chemical or biological warfare agents.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/429,687 entitled “Self-decontaminating or self-cleaning coating for protection against hazardous bio-pathogens and toxic chemical agents,” which is incorporated herein by reference, covers “A self-cleaning, self-decontaminating coating capable of producing hydroxyl radicals, in the presence of UV radiation and moisture, in sufficient amounts to destroy organic contaminants on the coating surface.” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/368,086 entitled “Antifungal paints and coatings,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/884,355 entitled “Antifungal paints and coatings,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/792,516 entitled “Microorganism coating components, coatings, and coated surfaces,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/655,345 entitled “Biological active coating components, coatings, and coated surfaces,” all of which are incorporated herein by reference, use enzymes trapped in a coating to deactivate chemical weapons agents, pesticides, and kill bacteria and fungus. The enzymes are not effective against mustard gas and the efficacy of the enzymes for killing bacteria is unknown. In addition, when all the enzymes are consumed, the coating will not continue to be effective. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/491,776 entitled “Microwave plasma generator,” which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses use of a microwave created plasma in an air duct to destroy chemical weapons. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/743,124 entitled “Low power plasma generator,” which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a small size microwave plasma generator that can be used to destroy chemical weapons.
Further prior art related to plasmas include H. W. Herrmann, G. S. Selwyn, I. Henins, J. Park, M. Jeffery, and J. M. Williams, “Chemical Warfare Agent Decontamination Studies in the Plasma Decon Chamber,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Vol. 30, No. 4, August 2002, p. 1460; T. C. Montie, K. Kelly-Wintenberg, and J. R. Roth, “An Overview of Research Using the One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (OAUGDP) for Sterilization of Surfaces and Materials,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Vol. 28, No. 1, February 2000, p. 41; M. Laroussi, “Nonthermal Decontamination of Biological Media by Atmospheric-Pressure Plasmas: Review, Analysis, and Prospects,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Vol. 30, No. 4, August 2002, p. 1409; X. Deng, J. Shi, M. G. Kong, “Physical Mechanisms of Inactivation of Bacillus subtilis Spores Using Cold Atmospheric Plasmas,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Vol. 34, No. 4, August 2006, p. 1310; and S. L. Daniels, “On the Ionization of Air for Removal of Noxious Effluvia (Air Ionization of Indoor Environments for Control of Volatile and Particulate Contaminants with Nonthermal Plasmas Generated by Dielectric-Barrier Discharge,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Vol. 30, No. 4, August 2002, p. 1471, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
While conventional decontamination solutions are effective at destroying the contaminant, large volumes of reactive chemicals must be transported to the contaminated vehicle and the solution may damage sensitive surfaces. In addition, the chemicals must be available for application and the surface must be coated with a chemical agent resistant coating. All of the requirements for decontamination require additional logistics and special chemical handling. Therefore, a need exists for a decontamination process that is simple and fast and that requires no supplied chemicals or chemical clean-up.