THE ELIGIBILITY OF MUSTARD GAS SIMULANTS EMPLOYMENT FOR TESTING INDIVIDUAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT INSULATING FOLIO

Abstract

Testing of constructional materials against chemical warfare agents is a used practice
within individual protective equipment in a scope of the Czech Armed Forces Chemical Corps
and Fire Rescue System. High toxicity of chemical warfare agents, necessity of protective
garments employment, special regime of work in laboratories and finally even necessity to
fulfill demands coming out from valid legislature leads to the fact that as test chemicals
simulants are used. In the paper there are introduced results of measurements of resistivity with
simulants that are used for testing constructional materials of individual protective equipment.
As constructional materials were used such as materials that are used for construction of the
body surface protective garments. Practical measurements of construction material resistance
for 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, methyl salicylate and 1,6-dichlorohexane thus substances that
are recommended as simulants of the sulphur mustard, have shown that for these substances
used construction materials have less chemical resistance than for sulfur mustard. The
differences were so significant and from that reason listed substances are not possible to
recommend as the simulants of the sulphur mustard to measure of the chemical resistance of
individual protection equipment construction materials.