Ultrasonic
solvent cleaning processes can effectively decontaminate sensitive equipment. The disclosed decontamination liquids meet the following criteria:a. It is compatible with a wide range of sensitive equipment—the performance of electronic and optical equipment is not affected by immersion in decontamination liquid.b. The principal chemical warfare agents of concern are sufficiently soluble in decontamination liquid for it to be an effective decontamination medium.c. The principal chemical warfare agents of concern are quantitatively removed from solution in decontamination liquid by
activated carbon. When agent contaminated decontamination liquid is passed through a
bed of
activated carbon, the agent adsorbs onto the
activated carbon, resulting in agent free decontamination liquid that can be recycled and reused.d. It is nonflammable, nontoxic, and environmentally acceptable.Ultrasonic agitation provides effective
mass and physical transfer of contaminants from the surfaces of the objects being decontaminated to the bulk of the decontamination liquid.Contaminant removal occurs in three steps: removal of the contaminant from the surface of the part being processed, transfer of the dissolved or suspended contaminant into the bulk of the decontamination liquid in the immersion
sump, and then removal of the dissolved contaminant by activated
carbon adsorption, or suspended contaminant by
filtration.Biological contaminants are also effectively removed or inactivated by immersion and
sonication in decontamination fluid or solutions of a soluble surfactant in decontamination fluid.
Activated carbon beds and filters that come into contact with contaminated liquid can be contained in commercially available housings that shield the
system operator from any contained toxic contents. These sealable containers, and their contents, can be destroyed by
standard methods, such as
incineration.Spectrographic fluorimetry can detect extremely low levels (of the order of 10 ppt) of fluorescent dyes dissolved in decontamination fluid.Decontamination of sensitive equipment in decontamination fluid can be performed in commercially available ultrasonic vapor degreasers.