- 1. The use of metals in military affairs
- 2. The use of non-metals in military affairs
NON-METALS
A colossal mass of iron was spent in all wars
Only during the First World War, 200 million tons of steel were consumed, during the Second World War - about 800 million tons
Iron alloys in the form of armor plates and leaves 10-100 mm thick are used in the manufacture of hulls and turrets of tanks, armored vehicles and other military equipment
The thickness of the armor of warships and coastal guns
reaches 500 mm
In the thirteenth apartment
Livin' famous in the world
What a wonderful conductor.
Plastic, silver.
More about alloys
I won fame
And I am an expert in this field.
Here I am rushing like the wind,
in a space rocket.
I descend into the abyss of the sea,
Everyone there knows me.
I'm visible in appearance
Even with an oxide film
Covered, she is my strong armor
And I am the metal of the space age,
Recently entered the service of man,
Although in technology I am a young metal,
But I won my own glory.
I am heat-resistant and heat-conducting,
And in nuclear reactors fit,
And in alloys with aluminum, titanium,
I'm needed like rocket fuel
In terms of lightness, I have no equal in alloys
I am magnesium light and active,
And indispensable in technology:
In many motors you will find parts,
For lighting rockets
There is no other element!
An alloy of copper and zinc - brass - is well processed by pressure and has a high viscosity
It is used for the manufacture of cartridge cases and artillery shells, as it has good resistance to shock loads created by powder gases.
Titanium is used in the production of turbojet engines, in space technology, artillery, shipbuilding, mechanical engineering, nuclear and chemical industries.
Titanium alloys are used to prepare the main rotors of modern heavy helicopters, rudders and other critical parts of supersonic aircraft.
And I'm a giant, I'm called a titan.
helicopter propellers,
Steering wheels
And even parts of supersonic aircraft
are made of me
This is what I need!
Separate stages of obtaining nuclear fuel take place in a helium protective environment
In containers filled with helium, fuel elements of nuclear reactions are stored and transported.
Neon-helium mixture is filled with gas lamps, indispensable for signaling devices
Rocket fuel is stored at the temperature of liquid neon
Polymer metals are widely used in the construction of field and protective structures, the construction of roads, runways, crossings over water barriers.
Many of the most important parts of aircraft, machines, machine tools are pressed from Teflon plastic.
Chemical fibers containing carbon are used to make durable auto and air cords.
Without the products of the rubber and tire industries, cars would stop working, electric motors, compressors, pumps would stop working, and, of course, airplanes would not fly.
METALS IN MILITARY
Chemistry teacher Bessudnova Yu.V.
Copper, No. 29 . During the Great Patriotic War, the main consumer copper was the military industry. An alloy of copper (90%) and tin (10%) is gunmetal. Cartridge cases and artillery shells are usually yellow. They are made of brass - an alloy of copper (68%) with zinc (32%). Most artillery brass cases are used more than once. During the war years, in any artillery battalion there was a person (usually an officer) responsible for the timely collection of spent cartridges and sending them for reloading. High resistance against the corrosive action of salt water is characteristic of marine brasses. This is brass with tin added.
Molybdenum, No. 42 . Molybdenum is called a "military" metal, since 90% of it is used for military needs. Steels with the addition of molybdenum (and other micro-additives) are very strong, they are used to prepare the barrels of guns, rifles, guns, aircraft parts, and cars. The introduction of molybdenum into the composition of steels in combination with chromium or tungsten unusually increases their hardness ( tank armor).
Silver, No. 47. Silver alloyed with indium was used to make searchlights (for air defense). Searchlight mirrors during the war years helped to detect the enemy in the air, at sea and on land; sometimes tactical and strategic tasks were solved with the help of searchlights. So, during the assault on Berlin by the troops of the First Belorussian Front, 143 searchlights of huge aperture blinded the Nazis in their defensive zone, and this contributed to the quick outcome of the operation.
Aluminum, No. 13. Aluminum is called the "winged" metal, since its alloys with Mg, Mn, Be, Na, Si are used in aircraft construction. The finest aluminum powder was used to produce combustible and explosive mixtures. The filling of incendiary bombs consisted of a mixture of powders of aluminum, magnesium and iron oxide, mercury fulminate served as a detonator. When the bomb hit the roof, a detonator ignited the incendiary composition, and everything around began to burn. A burning incendiary composition cannot be extinguished with water, as hot magnesium reacts with it. Therefore, sand was used to extinguish the fire.
Titanium has unique properties: almost twice as light as iron, only one and a half times as heavy as aluminum. At the same time, it exceeds steel by one and a half times in strength and melts at a higher temperature, and has high corrosion resistance. Ideal metal for jet aircraft.
Magnesium, No. 12. The property of magnesium to burn with a blinding white flame is widely used in military technology for the manufacture of lighting and signal rockets, tracer bullets and projectiles, and incendiary bombs. Metallurgists use magnesium to deoxidize steel and alloys.
Nickel, No. 28. When the Soviet T-34 tanks appeared on the battlefields, German experts were amazed at the invulnerability of their armor. By order from Berlin, the first captured T-34 was delivered to Germany. Here the chemists took over. They found that Russian armor contains a high percentage of nickel, which makes it super-strong. Three qualities of this machine - fire power, speed, armor strength- had to be combined so that none of them was sacrificed to the other. Our designers, led by M. I. Koshkin, managed to create the best tank of the period of the Second World War. The turret of the tank turned at a record speed: it made a full turn in 10s instead of the usual 35s. Due to its light weight and size, the tank was very manoeuvrable. Armor with a high nickel content not only proved to be the strongest, but also had the most favorable angles of inclination, so it was invulnerable.
Vanadium, No. 23 . Vanadium called "automotive" metal. Vanadium steel made it possible to lighten cars, make new cars stronger, and improve their driving performance. Soldiers' helmets, helmets, armor plates on guns are made from this steel. Chrome vanadium steel is even stronger. Therefore, it began to be widely used in military equipment: for the manufacture of crankshafts for ship engines, individual parts of torpedoes, aircraft engines, and armor-piercing shells.
Lithium, No. 3. During the Great Patriotic War, lithium hydride became strategic. It reacts violently with water, and a large volume of hydrogen is released, which fills balloons and rescue equipment in case of aircraft and ship accidents on the high seas. The addition of lithium hydroxide to alkaline batteries increased their service life by 2-3 times, which was very necessary for partisan detachments. Tracer bullets with the addition of lithium during the flight left a blue-green light.Wolfram, No. 74. Tungsten is one of the most valuable strategic materials. Tungsten steels and alloys are used to make tank armor, shells for torpedoes and shells, the most important aircraft parts and engines.
Lead, No. 82. With the invention of firearms, the manufacture of bullets for guns, pistols and buckshot for artillery began to consume a lot of lead. Lead is a heavy metal and has a high density. It was this circumstance that caused the massive use of lead in firearms. Lead projectiles were used in antiquity: the slingers of Hannibal's army threw lead balls at the Romans. And now bullets are cast from lead, only their shell is made from other, harder metals.
Cobalt, No. 27. Cobalt is called the metal of wonderful alloys (heat-resistant, high-speed). Cobalt steel was used to make magnetic mines.
Lantan, No. 57. During World War II, lanthanum glasses were used in field optical instruments. An alloy of lanthanum, cerium and iron gives the so-called "flint", which was used in soldiers' lighters. Special artillery shells were made from it, which spark during flight when rubbing against the air.
Tantalum, No. 73. Specialists in military technology believe that it is expedient to manufacture some parts of guided missiles and jet engines from tantalum. Tantalum is the most important strategic metal for the manufacture of radar installations, radio transmission stations; metal reconstructive surgery.
1941… German troops approach Moscow. The Soviet troops lack uniforms, food and ammunition, but most importantly, there is a catastrophic lack of anti-tank weapons. In that critical period Enthusiast scientists come to the rescue: in two days, one of the military factories is setting up the production of bottles of KS (Kachugin-Solodovnikov). This uncomplicated chemical device destroyed German equipment not only at the beginning of the war, but even in the spring of 1945 in Berlin. Ampoules containing concentrated sulfuric acid, bartolet salt, and powdered sugar were attached to an ordinary bottle with an elastic band. Gasoline, kerosene or oil was poured into the bottle. As soon as such a bottle crashed against the armor, the components of the fuse entered into a chemical reaction, a strong flash occurred, and the fuel ignited. Also throughout the war, the Germans used incendiary bombs during raids on cities. The filling of such bombs was a mixture of powders: aluminum, magnesium and iron oxide, the detonator was mercury fulminate. When the bomb hit the roof, a detonator ignited the incendiary composition, and everything around began to burn. A hot incendiary composition cannot be extinguished with water, as hot magnesium reacts with water. Therefore, during German raids, teenagers were constantly on duty on the roofs of houses. During night raids, bombers dropped flares by parachute to illuminate the target. The composition of such a rocket included magnesium powder, compressed with special compositions, and a fuse from coal, bartholite salt and calcium salts. When the flare was launched, the fuse burned with a bright flame high above the ground, and as it descended, the light gradually became more even, brighter and white - this was magnesium on fire. ) in addition to stationary gas chambers, gas wagons were also used - mobile models on an automobile base, where poisoning was carried out using carbon monoxide from an exhaust pipe in an impenetrable body. Barrage balloons - special balloons used to damage aircraft in a collision with cables, shells or explosive charges suspended from cables. The balloons were filled with gas from gas holders. KS-18 (in some sources it appears as BKhM1) is a Soviet medium-weight chemical armored car of the interwar period, created on the basis of the ZIS-6 truck. The machine was equipped with special chemical equipment of the KS-18 brand manufactured by the Kompressor plant and a tank with a capacity of 1000 liters. Depending on the substance filling the tank, the machine could perform various tasks - setting up smoke screens, degassing the area, or spraying chemical warfare agents. Infection of the area using the BKhM-1 combat chemical machine. USSR 1941 Mostly during the war, nitrocellulose (smokeless) gunpowder and less often black (smoky) gunpowder were used. The basis of the first is a high-molecular explosive nitrocellulose, and the second is a mixture (in%): potassium nitrate-75, carbon-15, sulfur-10. The formidable combat vehicles of those years - the legendary "Katyusha" and the famous IL-2 attack aircraft - were armed with rockets, which were fueled by ballistic (smokeless) gunpowder - one of the varieties of nitrocellulose gunpowder.
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RUSSIAN FEDERATION
FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION
SEI HPE "OREL STATE UNIVERSITY"
FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
SUMMARY ON THE TOPIC:
"CHEMISTRY IN MILITARY BUSINESS"
Completed by a student of the 4th year of the 9th group,
specialty 050101 "Chemistry"
Yarmolenko Yu.V.
- Introduction
- 1. organic matter in military affairs
- 2. Inorganic substances in military affairs
- Conclusion
Introduction
We live in a world of various substances. In principle, a person does not need so much to live: oxygen (air), water, food, basic clothing, housing. However, a person, mastering the world around him, gaining new knowledge about it, constantly changes his life.
In the second half of the 19th century, chemical science reached a level of development that made it possible to create new substances that had never coexisted in nature before. However, while creating new substances that should serve for the benefit, scientists also created substances that became a threat to humanity.
On the one hand, substances "stand" on the protection of countries. Without many chemicals, we can no longer imagine our life, because they are created for the benefit of civilization (plastics, rubber, etc.). On the other hand, some substances can be used for destruction, they "bring death."
1. Organic substances in military affairs
In 1920 - 1930. there was a threat of unleashing the second world war. The major world powers were feverishly arming, Germany and the USSR made the greatest efforts for this. German scientists have created a new generation of poisonous substances. However, Hitler did not dare to unleash a chemical war, probably realizing that its consequences for relatively small Germany and vast Russia would be incommensurable.
After World War II, the chemical arms race continued at a higher level. Currently, developed countries do not produce chemical weapons, but huge stocks of deadly poisonous substances have accumulated on the planet, which poses a serious danger to nature and society.
Mustard gas, lewisite, sarin, soman, V-gases, hydrocyanic acid, phosgene, and another product, which is usually depicted in the VX font, have been adopted and stored in warehouses. Let's consider them in more detail.
a) Sarin is a colorless or yellow liquid with almost no odor, which makes it difficult to detect it by external signs. It belongs to the class of nerve agents. Sarin is intended primarily for air contamination with vapors and fog, that is, as an unstable agent. In a number of cases, however, it can be used in a drop-liquid form to infect the area and the military equipment located on it; in this case, the persistence of sarin can be: in summer - several hours, in winter - several days.
Sarin causes damage through the respiratory system, skin, gastrointestinal tract; through the skin it acts in drop-liquid and vapor states, without causing local damage to it. The degree of sarin damage depends on its concentration in the air and the time spent in the contaminated atmosphere.
Under the influence of sarin, the affected person experiences salivation, profuse sweating, vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, attacks of severe convulsions, paralysis and, as a result of severe poisoning, death.
b) Soman is a colorless and almost odorless liquid. Belongs to the class of nerve agents. In many ways, it is very similar to sarin. The persistence of soman is somewhat higher than that of sarin; on the human body, it acts about 10 times stronger.
c) V-gases are low volatile liquids with a very high boiling point, so their resistance is many times greater than that of sarin. Like sarin and soman, they are classified as nerve agents. According to the foreign press, V-gases are 100-1000 times more toxic than other nerve agents. They are highly effective when acting through the skin, especially in the drop-liquid state: small drops of V-gases on the skin of a person, as a rule, cause death.
d) Mustard is a dark brown oily liquid with a characteristic odor reminiscent of the smell of garlic or mustard. Belongs to the class of skin-abscess agents. Mustard evaporates slowly from infected areas; its durability on the ground is: in summer - from 7 to 14 days, in winter - a month or more. Mustard gas has a multilateral effect on the body: in a drop-liquid and vapor state, it affects the skin and eyes, in a vapor state - Airways and lungs, when ingested with food and water, it affects the digestive organs. The action of mustard gas does not appear immediately, but after some time, called the period of latent action. When it comes into contact with the skin, drops of mustard gas are quickly absorbed into it without causing pain. After 4-8 hours, redness appears on the skin and itching is felt. By the end of the first and the beginning of the second day, small bubbles form, but then they merge into single large bubbles filled with an amber-yellow liquid, which becomes cloudy over time. The appearance of blisters is accompanied by malaise and fever. After 2-3 days, the blisters break through and expose ulcers underneath that do not heal for a long time. If an infection gets into the ulcer, then suppuration occurs and the healing time increases to 5-6 months. The organs of vision are affected by vaporous mustard gas even in its negligible concentrations in the air and the exposure time is 10 minutes. The period of latent action in this case lasts from 2 to 6 hours; then signs of damage appear: a feeling of sand in the eyes, photophobia, lacrimation. The disease can last 10-15 days, after which recovery occurs. The defeat of the digestive system is caused by eating food and water contaminated with mustard gas. In severe cases of poisoning, after a period of latent action (30-60 minutes), signs of damage appear: pain in the pit of the stomach, nausea, vomiting; then come general weakness, headache, weakening of reflexes; discharge from the mouth and nose acquires a fetid odor. In the future, the process progresses: paralysis is observed, there is a sharp weakness and exhaustion. With an unfavorable course, death occurs on the 3-12th day as a result of a complete breakdown and exhaustion.
In case of severe lesions, it is usually not possible to save a person, and if the skin is damaged, the victim loses his ability to work for a long time.
e) hydrocyanic acid - a colorless liquid with a peculiar odor reminiscent of the smell of bitter almonds; in low concentrations, the smell is difficult to distinguish. Hydrocyanic acid evaporates easily and acts only in the vapor state. Refers to the general poisonous agents. Characteristic signs of hydrocyanic acid damage are: a metallic taste in the mouth, throat irritation, dizziness, weakness, nausea. Then painful shortness of breath appears, the pulse slows down, the poisoned person loses consciousness, and sharp convulsions occur. Spasms are observed rather not for long; they are replaced by complete relaxation of the muscles with loss of sensitivity, a drop in temperature, respiratory depression, followed by its stop. Cardiac activity after respiratory arrest continues for another 3-7 minutes.
f) Phosgene is a colorless, volatile liquid with the smell of rotten hay or rotten apples. It acts on the body in a vapor state. Belongs to the class of OV suffocating action.
Phosgene has a latency period of 4-6 hours; its duration depends on the concentration of phosgene in the air, the time spent in the contaminated atmosphere, the state of the person, and the cooling of the body. When inhaling phosgene, a person feels a sweetish unpleasant taste in the mouth, then coughing, dizziness and general weakness appear. Upon leaving the contaminated air, the signs of poisoning quickly disappear, and a period of so-called imaginary well-being begins. But after 4-6 hours, the affected person has a sharp deterioration in his condition: bluish coloration of the lips, cheeks, nose quickly develops; general weakness, headache, rapid breathing, severe shortness of breath, painful cough with liquid, frothy, pinkish sputum, which indicates the development of pulmonary edema, appear. The process of phosgene poisoning reaches its climax within 2-3 days. With a favorable course of the disease, the state of health of the affected person will gradually begin to improve, and in severe cases, death occurs.
g) Lysergic acid dimethylamide is a toxic substance with psychochemical action. When it enters the human body, after 3 minutes, mild nausea and dilated pupils appear, and then hallucinations of hearing and vision continue for several hours.
2. Inorganic substances in military affairs
The Germans first used chemical weapons on April 22, 1915. near the city of Ypres: launched a gas attack against the French and British troops. From 6 thousand metal cylinders, 180 tons of chlorine were released along a front width of 6 km. Then they used chlorine as an agent against the Russian army. As a result of the first gas balloon attack alone, about 15,000 soldiers were hit, of which 5,000 died from suffocation. To protect against chlorine poisoning, bandages soaked in a solution of potash and baking soda began to be used, and then a gas mask in which sodium thiosulfate was used to absorb chlorine.
Later, stronger poisonous substances containing chlorine appeared: mustard gas, chloropicrin, cyanogen chloride, asphyxiating gas phosgene, etc.
Bleach (CaOCI 2) is used for military purposes as an oxidizing agent during degassing, destroying chemical warfare agents, and for peaceful purposes - for bleaching cotton fabrics, paper, for chlorinating water, and disinfecting. The use of this salt is based on the fact that when it interacts with carbon monoxide (IV), free hypochlorous acid is released, which decomposes:
2CaOCI 2 + CO 2 + H 2 O \u003d CaCO 3 + CaCI 2 + 2HOCI;
2HOCI \u003d 2HCI + O 2.
Oxygen at the time of release vigorously oxidizes and destroys toxic and other substances, has a bleaching and disinfecting effect.
Ammonium chloride NH 4 CI is used to fill smoke bombs: when an incendiary mixture ignites, ammonium chloride decomposes, forming thick smoke:
NH 4 CI \u003d NH 3 + HCI.
Such checkers were widely used during the Great Patriotic War.
Ammonium nitrate is used for the production of explosives - ammonites, which also include other explosive nitro compounds, as well as combustible additives. For example, ammonal contains trinitrotoluene and aluminum powder. The main reaction that occurs during its explosion:
3NH 4 NO 3 + 2AI \u003d 3N 2 + 6H 2 O + AI 2 O 3 + Q.
The high heat of combustion of aluminum increases the energy of the explosion. Aluminum nitrate mixed with trinitrotoluene (tol) gives the explosive ammotol. Most explosive mixtures contain an oxidizing agent (metal or ammonium nitrates, etc.) and combustible substances (diesel fuel, aluminum, wood flour, etc.).
Phosphorus (white) is widely used in military affairs as an incendiary substance used to equip aerial bombs, mines, and shells. Phosphorus is highly flammable and releases a large amount of heat during combustion (the combustion temperature of white phosphorus reaches 1000 - 1200°C). When burning, phosphorus melts, spreads and, if it comes into contact with the skin, causes burns and ulcers that do not heal for a long time.
When phosphorus is burned in air, phosphoric anhydride is obtained, the vapors of which attract moisture from the air and form a veil of white fog, consisting of tiny droplets of a solution of metaphosphoric acid. This is the basis for its use as a smoke-forming substance.
On the basis of ortho- and metaphosphoric acids, the most toxic organophosphorus poisonous substances (sarin, soman, V-gases) of nerve-paralytic action have been created. A gas mask serves as protection against their harmful effects.
Graphite, due to its softness, is widely used to produce lubricants used at high and low temperatures. The extreme heat resistance and chemical inertness of graphite make it possible to use it in nuclear reactors on nuclear submarines in the form of bushings, rings, as a thermal neutron moderator, and as a structural material in rocket technology.
Activated carbon is a good gas adsorbent, so it is used as an absorber of poisonous substances in filter gas masks. During the First World War, there were great human losses, one of the main reasons was the lack of reliable personal protective equipment against poisonous substances. N.D. Zelinsky proposed the simplest gas mask in the form of a bandage with coal. In the future, he, together with engineer E.L. Kumantom improved simple gas masks. They offered insulating rubber gas masks, thanks to which the lives of millions of soldiers were saved.
Carbon monoxide (II) (carbon monoxide) is included in the group of general poisonous chemical weapons: it combines with blood hemoglobin, forming carboxyhemoglobin. As a result, hemoglobin loses its ability to bind and carry oxygen, oxygen starvation sets in and the person dies from suffocation.
In a combat situation, when in a flamethrower-incendiary fire zone, in tents and other rooms with stove heating, when shooting indoors, carbon monoxide poisoning can occur. And since carbon monoxide (II) has high diffusion properties, conventional filter gas masks are not able to purify the air contaminated with this gas. Scientists have created an oxygen gas mask, in special cartridges of which mixed oxidizers are placed: 50% manganese (IV) oxide, 30% copper (II) oxide, 15% chromium (VI) oxide and 5% silver oxide. Airborne carbon monoxide (II) is oxidized in the presence of these substances, for example:
CO + MnO 2 \u003d MnO + CO 2.
A person affected by carbon monoxide needs fresh air, heart remedies, sweet tea, in severe cases - inhalation of oxygen, artificial respiration.
Carbon monoxide (IV) (carbon dioxide) is 1.5 times heavier than air, does not support combustion processes, is used to extinguish fires. The carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is filled with a solution of sodium bicarbonate, and in a glass ampoule there is sulfuric or hydrochloric acid. When the fire extinguisher is put into operation, the following reaction begins to occur:
2NaHCO 3 + H 2 SO 4 \u003d Na 2 SO 4 + 2H 2 O + 2CO 2.
The released carbon dioxide envelops dense layer the source of the fire, stopping the access of air oxygen to the burning object. During the Great Patriotic War, such fire extinguishers were used to protect residential buildings in cities and industrial facilities.
Carbon monoxide (IV) in liquid form - good remedy used in fire fighting jet engines installed on modern military aircraft.
Due to their strength, hardness, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, ability to be machined, metals are widely used in military affairs: in aircraft and rocket building, in the manufacture of small arms and armored vehicles, submarines and naval ships, shells, bombs, radio equipment, etc. .d.
Thermite (a mixture of Fe 3 O 4 with AI powder) is used to make incendiary bombs and shells. When this mixture is ignited, a violent reaction occurs with the release of a large number heat:
8AI + 3Fe 3 O 4 \u003d 4AI 2 O 3 + 9Fe + Q.
The temperature in the reaction zone reaches 3000°C. At such a high temperature, the armor of tanks melts. Thermite shells and bombs have great destructive power.
Sodium peroxide Na 2 O 2 is used as an oxygen regenerator in military submarines. Solid sodium peroxide, which fills the regeneration system, interacts with carbon dioxide:
2Na 2 O 2 + 2CO 2 \u003d 2Na 2 CO 3 + O 2.
chemical organic poison weapon
This reaction underlies modern insulating gas masks (IP), which are used in conditions of lack of oxygen in the air, when using chemical warfare agents. Insulating gas masks are in service with the crews of modern naval ships and submarines; it is these gas masks that ensure the crew's exit from a flooded tanker.
Molybdenum gives steel high hardness, strength and toughness. The following fact is known: the armor of British tanks participating in the battles of the First World War was made of brittle manganese steel. German artillery shells freely pierced a massive shell of such steel 7.5 cm thick. But as soon as only 1.5-2% molybdenum was added to the steel, the tanks became invulnerable with an armor plate thickness of 2.5 cm. Molybdenum steel is used to manufacture tank armor , ship hulls, gun barrels, guns, aircraft parts.
Conclusion
Chemical weapons, of course, must be destroyed, and if it is possible quickly, it is a deadly weapon against humanity. People also remember how Nazis killed hundreds of thousands of people in concentration camps in gas chambers, how American troops tested chemical weapons during the Vietnam War.
The use of chemical weapons today is prohibited by international agreement. In the first half of the XX century. poisonous substances were either drowned in the sea or buried in the ground. Than it is fraught - it is not necessary to explain. Now toxic substances are burned, but this method also has its drawbacks. When burning in a conventional flame, their concentration in the exhaust gases is tens of thousands of times higher than the maximum allowable. Relative safety is provided by high-temperature afterburning of exhaust gases in a plasma electric furnace (a method used in the USA).
Another approach to the destruction of chemical weapons is the preliminary neutralization of toxic substances. The resulting non-toxic masses can be burned or processed into solid insoluble blocks, which are then buried in special burial grounds or used in road construction.
At present, the concept of destroying poisonous substances directly in ammunition is widely discussed, and it is proposed to process non-toxic reaction masses into chemical products for commercial purposes. But the destruction of chemical weapons and Scientific research in this area require large investments.
I would like to hope that the problems will be solved and the power of chemical science will be directed not to the development of new poisonous substances, but to solving the global problems of mankind.
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We live in a world of various substances. In principle, a person does not need so much to live: air, water, food, basic clothing, housing. However, a person, mastering the world around him, gaining new knowledge about it, constantly changes his life.
In the second half of the 19th century, chemical science reached a level of development that made it possible to create new substances that had never coexisted in nature before. However, while creating new substances that should serve for the benefit, scientists also created substances that became a threat to humanity.
In 1915, the Germans used gas attacks with poisonous substances to win on the French front. What was left for the rest of the countries to do in order to save the life and health of the soldiers?
First of all, to create a gas mask, which was successfully completed by N.D. Zelinsky. He said: "I invented it not to attack, but to protect young lives from suffering and death." Well, then how chain reaction, new substances began to be created - the beginning of the era of chemical weapons.
How does it feel about this?
On the one hand, substances "stand" on the protection of countries. Without many chemicals, we can no longer imagine our life, because they are created for the benefit of civilization (plastics, rubber, etc.). On the other hand, some substances can be used for destruction, they carry "death".
In 1920 - 1930. there was a threat of unleashing the second world war. The major world powers were feverishly arming, Germany and the USSR made the greatest efforts for this. German scientists have created a new generation of poisonous substances. However, Hitler did not dare to unleash a chemical war, probably realizing that its consequences for relatively small Germany and vast Russia would be incommensurable.
After World War II, the chemical arms race continued at a higher level. Currently, developed countries do not produce chemical weapons, but huge stocks of deadly poisonous substances have accumulated on the planet, which poses a serious danger to nature and society.
Mustard gas, lewisite, sarin, soman, V-gases, hydrocyanic acid, phosgene, and another product, which is usually depicted in the VX font, have been adopted and stored in warehouses. Let's consider them in more detail.
A) Sarin It is a colorless or yellow liquid, almost odorless, which makes it difficult to detect it by external signs. It belongs to the class of nerve agents. Sarin is intended primarily for air contamination with vapors and fog, that is, as an unstable agent. In a number of cases, however, it can be used in a drop-liquid form to infect the area and the military equipment located on it; in this case, the persistence of sarin can be: in summer - several hours, in winter - several days. Sarin causes damage through the respiratory system, skin, gastrointestinal tract; through the skin it acts in drop-liquid and vapor states, without causing local damage to it. The degree of sarin damage depends on its concentration in the air and the time spent in the contaminated atmosphere. Under the influence of sarin, the affected person experiences salivation, profuse sweating, vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, attacks of severe convulsions, paralysis and, as a result of severe poisoning, death.
b) Soman It is a colorless and almost odorless liquid. Belongs to the class of nerve agents. In many ways, it is very similar to sarin. The persistence of soman is somewhat higher than that of sarin; on the human body, it acts about 10 times stronger.
V) V-gases are low volatile liquids with a very high boiling point, so their resistance is many times greater than that of sarin. Like sarin and soman, they are classified as nerve agents. According to the foreign press, V-gases are 100-1000 times more toxic than other nerve agents. They are highly effective when acting through the skin, especially in the drop-liquid state: small drops of V-gases on the skin of a person, as a rule, cause death.
G) Mustard gas- dark brown oily liquid with a characteristic odor reminiscent of the smell of garlic or mustard. Belongs to the class of skin-abscess agents. Mustard evaporates slowly from infected areas; its durability on the ground is: in summer - from 7 to 14 days, in winter - a month or more. Mustard gas has a multifaceted effect on the body: in the drop-liquid and vapor states it affects the skin and eyes, in the vapor state it affects the respiratory tract and lungs, and when ingested with food and water, it affects the digestive organs. The action of mustard gas does not appear immediately, but after some time, called the period of latent action. When it comes into contact with the skin, drops of mustard gas are quickly absorbed into it without causing pain. After 4 - 8 hours, redness appears on the skin and itching is felt. By the end of the first and the beginning of the second day, small bubbles form, but then they merge into single large bubbles filled with an amber-yellow liquid, which becomes cloudy over time. The appearance of blisters is accompanied by malaise and fever. After 2-3 days, the blisters break through and expose ulcers underneath that do not heal for a long time. If an infection gets into the ulcer, then suppuration occurs and the healing time increases to 5-6 months. The organs of vision are affected by vaporous mustard gas even in its negligible concentrations in the air and the exposure time is 10 minutes. The period of latent action in this case lasts from 2 to 6 hours; then signs of damage appear: a feeling of sand in the eyes, photophobia, lacrimation. The disease can last 10-15 days, after which recovery occurs. The defeat of the digestive system is caused by eating food and water contaminated with mustard gas. In severe cases of poisoning, after a period of latent action (30 - 60 minutes), signs of damage appear: pain in the pit of the stomach, nausea, vomiting; then come general weakness, headache, weakening of reflexes; discharge from the mouth and nose acquires a fetid odor. In the future, the process progresses: paralysis is observed, there is a sharp weakness and exhaustion. With an unfavorable course, death occurs on the 3rd - 12th day as a result of a complete breakdown and exhaustion. In case of severe lesions, it is usually not possible to save a person, and if the skin is damaged, the victim loses his ability to work for a long time.
e) Hydrocyanic acid- a colorless liquid with a peculiar smell, reminiscent of the smell of bitter almonds; in low concentrations, the smell is difficult to distinguish. Hydrocyanic acid evaporates easily and acts only in the vapor state. Refers to the general poisonous agents. Characteristic signs of hydrocyanic acid damage are: a metallic taste in the mouth, throat irritation, dizziness, weakness, nausea. Then painful shortness of breath appears, the pulse slows down, the poisoned person loses consciousness, and sharp convulsions occur. Spasms are observed rather not for long; they are replaced by complete relaxation of the muscles with loss of sensitivity, a drop in temperature, respiratory depression, followed by its stop. Cardiac activity after respiratory arrest continues for another 3-7 minutes.
e) Phosgene- a colorless, volatile liquid with the smell of rotten hay or rotten apples. It acts on the body in a vapor state. Belongs to the class of OV suffocating action. Phosgene has a latency period of 4 - 6 hours; its duration depends on the concentration of phosgene in the air, the time spent in the contaminated atmosphere, the state of the person, and the cooling of the body. When inhaling phosgene, a person feels a sweetish unpleasant taste in the mouth, then coughing, dizziness and general weakness appear. Upon leaving the contaminated air, the signs of poisoning quickly disappear, and a period of so-called imaginary well-being begins. But after 4-6 hours, the affected person experiences a sharp deterioration in his condition: bluish coloration of the lips, cheeks, and nose quickly develops; there are general weakness, headache, rapid breathing, severe shortness of breath, excruciating cough with liquid, frothy, pinkish sputum, indicating the development of pulmonary edema. The process of phosgene poisoning reaches its climax within 2-3 days. With a favorable course of the disease, the state of health of the affected person will gradually begin to improve, and in severe cases, death occurs.
e) Lysergic acid dimethylamide is a toxic substance of psychochemical action. When it enters the human body, after 3 minutes, mild nausea and dilated pupils appear, and then hallucinations of hearing and vision continue for several hours.
The Germans first used chemical weapons on April 22, 1915, near the city of Ypres: they launched a gas attack against French and British troops. Of the 6 thousand metal cylinders, 180 tons were produced. chlorine across a front width of 6 km. Then they used chlorine as an agent against the Russian army. As a result of the first gas balloon attack alone, about 15,000 soldiers were hit, of which 5,000 died from suffocation. To protect against chlorine poisoning, bandages soaked in a solution of potash and baking soda began to be used, and then a gas mask in which sodium thiosulfate was used to absorb chlorine.
Later, stronger poisonous substances containing chlorine appeared: mustard gas, chloropicrin, cyanogen chloride, asphyxiating gas phosgene, etc.
The reaction equation for obtaining phosgene:
CI2 + CO = COCI2.
Upon penetration into the human body, phosgene undergoes hydrolysis:
COCI2 + H2O = CO2 + 2HCI,
which leads to the formation of hydrochloric acid, which inflames the tissues of the respiratory organs and makes breathing difficult.
Phosgene is also used for peaceful purposes: in the production of dyes, in the fight against pests and diseases of agricultural crops.
Bleach (CaOCI2) is used for military purposes as an oxidizing agent during degassing, destroying chemical warfare agents, and for peaceful purposes - for bleaching cotton fabrics, paper, for chlorinating water, disinfection. The use of this salt is based on the fact that when it interacts with carbon monoxide (IV), free hypochlorous acid is released, which decomposes:
2CaOCI2 + CO2 + H2O = CaCO3 + CaCI2 + 2HOCI;
HOCI = HCI + O.
Oxygen at the time of release vigorously oxidizes and destroys toxic and other toxic substances, has a bleaching and disinfecting effect.
Oxyliquite is an explosive mixture of any combustible porous mass with liquid oxygen. They were used during the First World War instead of dynamite.
The main condition for choosing a combustible material for oxyliquite is its sufficient friability, which contributes to better impregnation with liquid oxygen. If the combustible material is poorly impregnated, then after the explosion, part of it will remain unburned. An oxyliquite cartridge is a long pouch filled with combustible material into which an electric fuse is inserted. As a combustible material for oxyliquites, sawdust, coal, and peat are used. The cartridge is loaded immediately before being placed into the hole by immersing it in liquid oxygen. Cartridges were sometimes prepared in this way during the Great Patriotic War, although trinitrotoluene was mainly used for this purpose. Currently, oxyliquites are used in the mining industry for blasting.
Considering the properties of sulfuric acid, it is important to use it in the production of explosives (TNT, HMX, picric acid, trinitroglycerin) as a dewatering agent in the nitrating mixture (HNO3 and H2 SO4).
An ammonia solution (40%) is used to degas equipment, transport, clothing, etc. in the conditions of the use of chemical weapons (sarin, soman, tabun).
On the basis of nitric acid, a number of strong explosives are obtained: trinitroglycerin, and dynamite, nitrocellulose (pyroxylin), trinitrophenol (picric acid), trinitrotoluene, etc.
Ammonium chloride NH4CI is used to fill smoke bombs: when an incendiary mixture ignites, ammonium chloride decomposes, forming thick smoke:
NH4CI = NH3 + HCI.
Such checkers were widely used during the Great Patriotic War.
Ammonium nitrate is used for the production of explosives - ammonites, which also include other explosive nitro compounds, as well as combustible additives. For example, ammonal contains trinitrotoluene and aluminum powder. The main reaction that occurs during its explosion:
3NH4NO3 + 2AI = 3N2 + 6H2O + AI2O3 + Q.
The high heat of combustion of aluminum increases the energy of the explosion. Aluminum nitrate mixed with trinitrotoluene (tol) gives the explosive ammotol. Most explosive mixtures contain an oxidizing agent (metal or ammonium nitrates, etc.) and combustibles (diesel fuel, aluminum, wood flour, etc.).
Barium, strontium and lead nitrates are used in pyrotechnics.
Considering the use of nitrates, we can talk about the history of the production and use of black, or smoky, gunpowder - an explosive mixture of potassium nitrate with sulfur and coal (75% KNO3, 10% S, 15% C). The combustion reaction of black powder is expressed by the equation:
2KNO3 + 3C + S = N2 + 3CO2 + K2S + Q.
The two reaction products are gases, and potassium sulfide is solid, which forms smoke after the explosion. The source of oxygen during the combustion of gunpowder is potassium nitrate. If a vessel, for example, a tube sealed at one end, is closed by a movable body - the core, then it is ejected under the pressure of powder gases. This shows the propelling action of gunpowder. And if the walls of the vessel in which the gunpowder is located are not strong enough, then the vessel is torn under the action of powder gases into small fragments that fly around with a huge kinetic energy. This is the blasting action of gunpowder. The resulting potassium sulfide - soot - destroys the barrel of the weapon, therefore, after a shot, a special solution is used to clean the weapon, which includes ammonium carbonate.
For six centuries, the dominance of black powder in military affairs continued. For such a long period of time, its composition has not changed much, only the method of production has changed. Only in the middle of the last century, instead of black powder, they began to use new explosives with greater destructive power. They quickly displaced black powder from military equipment. Now it is used as an explosive in mining, in pyrotechnics (rockets, fireworks), and also as hunting gunpowder.
Phosphorus (white) is widely used in military affairs as an incendiary substance used to equip aerial bombs, mines, and shells. Phosphorus is highly flammable and releases a large amount of heat during combustion (the combustion temperature of white phosphorus reaches 1000 - 1200°C). When burning, phosphorus melts, spreads and, if it comes into contact with the skin, causes burns and ulcers that do not heal for a long time.
When phosphorus is burned in air, phosphoric anhydride is obtained, the vapors of which attract moisture from the air and form a veil of white fog, consisting of tiny droplets of a solution of metaphosphoric acid. Its use as a smoke-forming substance is based on this property.
On the basis of ortho - and metaphosphoric acids, the most toxic organophosphorus poisonous substances (sarin, soman, VX - gases) of nerve-paralytic action have been created. A gas mask serves as protection against their harmful effects.
Graphite, due to its softness, is widely used to produce lubricants used at high and low temperatures. The extreme heat resistance and chemical inertness of graphite make it possible to use it in nuclear reactors on nuclear submarines in the form of bushings, rings, as a thermal neutron moderator, and as a structural material in rocket technology.
Soot (carbon black) is used as a rubber filler used to equip armored, aviation, automobile, artillery and other military equipment.
Activated carbon is a good adsorbent of gases, so it is used as an absorber of poisonous substances in filter gas masks. During the First World War, there were great human losses, one of the main reasons was the lack of reliable personal protective equipment against poisonous substances. N.D. Zelinsky proposed the simplest gas mask in the form of a bandage with coal. Later, together with engineer E.L. Kumant, he improved simple gas masks. They offered insulating rubber gas masks, thanks to which the lives of millions of soldiers were saved.
Carbon monoxide (II) (carbon monoxide) is included in the group of general poisonous chemical weapons: it combines with blood hemoglobin, forming carboxyhemoglobin. As a result, hemoglobin loses its ability to bind and carry oxygen, oxygen starvation sets in and the person dies from suffocation.
In a combat situation, when in the zone of burning flamethrower-incendiary means, in tents and other rooms with stove heating, when shooting in enclosed spaces, carbon monoxide poisoning can occur. And since carbon monoxide (II) has high diffusion properties, conventional filter gas masks are not able to purify the air contaminated with this gas. Scientists have created an oxygen gas mask, in special cartridges of which mixed oxidizers are placed: 50% manganese (IV) oxide, 30% copper (II) oxide, 15% chromium (VI) oxide and 5% silver oxide. Airborne carbon monoxide (II) is oxidized in the presence of these substances, for example:
CO + MnO2 = MnO + CO2.
A person affected by carbon monoxide needs fresh air, heart remedies, sweet tea, in severe cases - oxygen breathing, artificial respiration.
Carbon monoxide (IV) (carbon dioxide) is 1.5 times heavier than air, does not support combustion processes, is used to extinguish fires. The carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is filled with a solution of sodium bicarbonate, and sulfuric or hydrochloric acid is contained in a glass ampoule. When the fire extinguisher is put into working condition, the reaction begins to proceed:
2NaHCO3 + H2SO4 = Na2SO4 + 2H2O + 2CO2 .
The released carbon dioxide envelops the fire in a dense layer, stopping the access of air oxygen to the burning object. During the Great Patriotic War, such fire extinguishers were used to protect residential buildings in cities and industrial facilities.
Carbon monoxide (IV) in liquid form is a good agent used in the fire extinguishing of jet engines installed on modern military aircraft.
Silicon, being a semiconductor, is widely used in modern military electronics. It is used in the manufacture of solar cells, transistors, diodes, particle detectors in radiation monitoring and radiation reconnaissance devices.
Liquid glass (saturated solutions of Na2SiO3 and K2SiO3) is a good fire retardant impregnation for fabrics, wood, and paper.
The silicate industry produces various types of optical glasses used in military instruments (binoculars, periscopes, rangefinders); cement for the construction of naval bases, mine launchers, protective structures.
In the form of glass fiber, glass is used for the production of fiberglass used in the manufacture of missiles, submarines, and instruments.
In the study of metals, consider their use in military affairs
Due to their strength, hardness, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, ability to be machined, metals are widely used in military affairs: in aircraft and rocket building, in the manufacture of small arms and armored vehicles, submarines and naval ships, shells, bombs, radio equipment, etc. .d.
Aluminum has a high corrosion resistance to water, but has a low strength. In aircraft and rocket manufacturing, aluminum alloys with other metals are used: copper, manganese, zinc, magnesium, and iron. Appropriately heat treated, these alloys offer strength comparable to that of medium alloy steel.
So, once the most powerful rocket in the United States, the Saturn-5, with which the Apollo spacecraft were launched, is made of aluminum alloy (aluminum, copper, manganese). The bodies of combat intercontinental ballistic missiles "Titan-2" are made of aluminum alloy. The propeller blades of airplanes and helicopters are made of an alloy of aluminum with magnesium and silicon. This alloy can work under vibration loads and has very high corrosion resistance.
Thermite (a mixture of Fe3O4 with AI powder) is used to make incendiary bombs and shells. When this mixture is ignited, a violent reaction occurs with the release of a large amount of heat:
8AI + 3Fe3O4 = 4AI2O3 + 9Fe + Q.
The temperature in the reaction zone reaches 3000°C. At such a high temperature, the armor of tanks melts. Thermite shells and bombs have great destructive power.
Sodium as a coolant is used to remove heat from valves in aircraft engines, as a coolant in nuclear reactors (in an alloy with potassium).
Sodium peroxide Na2O2 is used as an oxygen regenerator in military submarines. Solid sodium peroxide, which fills the regeneration system, interacts with carbon dioxide:
2Na2O2 + 2CO2 = 2Na2CO3 + O2 .
This reaction underlies modern insulating gas masks (IP), which are used in conditions of lack of oxygen in the air, the use of chemical warfare agents. Isolating gas masks are in service with the crews of modern naval ships and submarines; it is these gas masks that ensure the crew's exit from a flooded tank.
Sodium hydroxide is used to prepare an electrolyte for alkaline batteries, which are equipped with modern military radio stations.
Lithium is used in the manufacture of tracer bullets and projectiles. Lithium salts give them a bright blue-green trail. Lithium is also used in nuclear and thermonuclear technology.
Lithium hydride served American pilots during World War II as a portable source of hydrogen. In case of accidents over the sea, under the action of water, lithium hydride tablets instantly decomposed, filling life-saving equipment with hydrogen - inflatable boats, rafts, vests, signal balloons-antennas:
LiH + H2O = LiOH + H2.
Magnesium is used in military equipment in the manufacture of lighting and signal rockets, tracer bullets, shells and incendiary bombs. When magnesium is ignited, a very bright, dazzling white flame, due to which it is possible to illuminate a significant part of the territory at night.
Light and strong alloys of magnesium with copper, aluminum, titanium, silicon are widely used in rocket, machine and aircraft construction. Of these, they prepare the landing gear and landing gear for military aircraft, individual parts for missile bodies.
Iron and its alloys (cast iron and steel) are widely used for military purposes. While creating modern systems weapons use a variety of grades of alloy steels.
Molybdenum gives steel high hardness, strength and toughness. The following fact is known: the armor of British tanks participating in the battles of the First World War was made of but brittle manganese steel. German artillery shells freely pierced a massive shell of such steel 7.5 cm thick. But as soon as only 1.5-2% molybdenum was added to the steel, the tanks became invulnerable with an armor plate thickness of 2.5 cm. Molybdenum steel is used to manufacture tank armor , ship hulls, gun barrels, guns, aircraft parts.
Cobalt is used in the creation of heat-resistant steels, which are used to manufacture parts for aircraft engines and rockets.
Chromium gives steel hardness and wear resistance. Chromium is alloyed with spring and spring steels used in automotive, armored, space-rocket and other types of military equipment.
The merits of scientists in the pre-war and present times are great, I will focus on the contribution of scientists to the victory in the Second World War. Since the work of scientists not only helped the victory, but also laid the foundation for a peaceful existence in the post-war period.
Scientists chemists took the most Active participation in securing victory over Nazi Germany. They developed new methods for the production of explosives, rocket fuel, high-octane gasolines, rubbers, armor steel, light alloys for aviation, and medicines.
The volume of production of chemical products by the end of the war approached the pre-war level: in 1945 it amounted to 92% of the 1940 figures.
Academician Alexander Erminingeldovich Arbuzov - the founder of one of the latest trends science - chemistry of organophosphorus compounds. His work was inextricably linked with the famous Kazan School of Chemists. Arbuzov's research was entirely devoted to the needs of defense and medicine. So, in March 1943, the optical physicist S.I. Vavilov wrote to Arbuzov: “I am writing to you with a big request to prepare in your laboratory 15 g of 3,6-diaminophtolimide. It turned out that this preparation, received from you, has valuable properties in relation to fluorescence and adsorption, and now we need it for the manufacture of a new defense optical device.” The drug was, it was used in the manufacture of optics for tanks. It had great importance to detect the enemy at a distance. In the future, A.E. Arbuzov also carried out other orders from the Optical Institute for the manufacture of various reagents.
An entire epoch in the history of domestic chemistry is associated with the name of Academician Nikolai Dmitrievich Zelinsky. Back in the First World War, he created a gas mask. In the period 1941-1945. N.D. Zelinsky headed the scientific school, the research of which was aimed at developing methods for obtaining high-octane fuel for aviation, monomers for synthetic rubber.
The contribution of Academician Nikolai Nikolaevich Semenov to ensuring victory was determined by the theory of branched chain reactions he developed, which made it possible to control chemical processes: accelerate reactions up to the formation of an explosive avalanche, slow down and even stop them at any intermediate station. In the early 40s. N.N. Semyonov and his collaborators investigated the processes of explosion, combustion, detonation. The results of these studies in one form or another were used during the war in the production of cartridges, artillery shells, explosives, incendiary mixtures for flamethrowers. Research results, dedicated to reflections and collisions shock waves during explosions, were already used in the first period of the war in the creation of cumulative shells, grenades and mines to fight enemy tanks.
Academician Alexander Evgenievich Fersman has said more than once that his life is a love story for stone. A pioneer and tireless researcher of apatite on the Kola Peninsula, radium ores in Fergana, sulfur in the Karakum Desert, tungsten deposits in Transbaikalia, one of the creators of the industry of rare elements, from the first days of the war, he was actively involved in the process of transferring science and industry to war footing. He performed special work on military engineering geology, military geography, on the manufacture of strategic raw materials, camouflage paints. In 1941, at an anti-fascist rally of scientists, he said: “The war required an enormous amount of the main types of strategic raw materials. A number of new metals were required for aviation, for armor-piercing steel, magnesium was required, strontium for lighting rockets and torches, more iodine was required ... And we are responsible for providing strategic raw materials, we must help with our knowledge to create better tanks, aircraft, in order to free all peoples from the invasion of the Nazi gang.
Semyon Isaakovich Vol'fkovich, a prominent chemical technologist, studied phosphorus compounds and was director of the Scientific Research Institute of Fertilizers and Insecticides. Employees of this institute created phosphorus-sulfur alloys for bottles that served as anti-tank "bombs", made chemical heating pads for fighters, sentinels, developed the means necessary for the sanitary service against frostbite, burns, and others. medications.
Professor of the Military Academy of Chemical Defense Ivan Lyudvigovich Knunyants has developed reliable personal protective equipment for people from poisonous substances. For these studies in 1941 he was awarded the State Prize of the USSR.
Before the start of the Great patriotic war Professor of the Military Academy of Chemical Defense Mikhail Mikhailovich Dubinin conducted research on the sorption of gases, vapors and dissolved substances by porous solids. M.M. Dubinin is a called authority on all major issues related to the anti-chemical protection of the respiratory system.
From the very beginning of the war, scientists were tasked with developing and organizing the production of drugs to combat infectious diseases, primarily typhus, which is carried by lice. Under the leadership of Nikolai Nikolaevich Melnikov, the production of dust, as well as various antiseptics for wooden aircraft, was organized.
Academician Alexander Naumovich Frumkin is one of the founders of the modern theory of electrochemical processes, the founder of the school of electrochemists. He studied the issues of protecting metals from corrosion, developed a physico-chemical method for fixing soils for airfields, and a recipe for fire-retardant impregnation of wood. Together with employees, he developed electrochemical fuses. He said: “There is no doubt that chemistry is one of the essential factors on which the success of modern warfare depends. The production of explosives, high-quality steels, light metals, fuels - all these are various applications of chemistry, not to mention special forms of chemical weapons. In modern warfare, German chemistry has given the world so far one "novelty" - this is the massive use of stimulants and narcotic substances that are given to German soldiers before they are sent to certain death. Soviet chemists call on scientists from all over the world to use their knowledge to fight fascism.
Academician Sergei Semenovich Nametkin, one of the founders of petrochemistry, successfully worked in the field of synthesis of new organometallic compounds, poisonous and explosive substances. During the war, he dealt with issues of chemical protection, the development of the production of motor fuels and oils.
Research by Valentin Alekseevich Kargin covered a wide range of issues of physical chemistry, electrochemistry and physicochemistry of macromolecular compounds. During the war, V.A. Kargin developed special materials for the manufacture of clothing that protects against the action of toxic substances, the principle and technology of a new method for processing protective fabrics, chemical compositions, making felted shoes waterproof, special types of rubber for combat vehicles of our army.
Professor, Head of the Military Academy of Chemical Protection and Head of Department analytical chemistry Yuri Arkadievich Klyachko organized a battalion from the academy and was the head of the combat section on the nearest approaches to Moscow. Under his leadership, work was launched to create new means of chemical defense, including research on smoke, antidotes, and flamethrowers.
On June 17, 1925, 37 states signed the Geneva Protocol, an international agreement on the prohibition of the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other similar gases in war. By 1978, the document was signed by almost all countries.
Chemical weapons, of course, must be destroyed and as soon as possible, this is a deadly weapon against humanity. People also remember how Nazis killed hundreds of thousands of people in concentration camps in gas chambers, how American troops tested chemical weapons during the Vietnam War. The use of chemical weapons today is prohibited by international agreement. In the first half of the XX century. poisonous substances were either drowned in the sea or buried in the ground. What this is fraught with, no need to explain. Now toxic substances are burned, but this method also has its drawbacks. When burning in a conventional flame, their concentration in the exhaust gases is tens of thousands of times higher than the maximum allowable. Relative safety is provided by high-temperature afterburning of exhaust gases in a plasma electric furnace (a method adopted in the USA).
Another approach to the destruction of chemical weapons is the preliminary neutralization of toxic substances. The resulting non-toxic masses can be burned or processed into solid insoluble blocks, which are then buried in special burial grounds or used in road construction.
At present, the concept of destroying poisonous substances directly in ammunition is widely discussed, and it is proposed to process non-toxic reaction masses into chemical products for commercial purposes. But the destruction of chemical weapons and scientific research in this area require large investments.
I would like to hope that the problems will be solved and the power of chemical science will be directed not to the development of new poisonous substances, but to solving the global problems of mankind.
