Reaction-Transport Dynamics in the Decontamination of Porous Media #

Ellen Luckins

11:50 Monday in 2Q49.

Part of the Dynamics of reaction-transport systems session.

Abstract #

Following a chemical weapons attack, it is crucial for public health that the toxic chemical agent is properly cleaned up. One particular issue is when the agent has contaminated porous materials, such as brick or concrete. In such cases, decontamination is typically achieved by neutralising the agent with a cleanser in a chemical reaction. The agent and cleanser chemicals are usually immiscible, and so the neutralisation reaction occurs at the interfaces between the fluids, within the pore-space. In this talk I will present models for this decontamination process and show how the decontamination dynamics can depend not only on the relative rates of the diffusive chemical transport and the chemical reaction, but also on the distribution of fluids within the pore-space and the physical properties of the reactant and product chemicals.