Pyrotechnically Generated and Disseminated Aerosol for Bioagent Defeat

Iodine-containing compounds are currently the most commonly used antimicrobial agents. Low concentrations of iodine and heavy metals have been shown to cause the precipitation of cell proteins, thus resulting in cell death. Oligo-dynamic metals (such as copper) cause cell membrane destruction as well as coagulation of cell materials. To date, there exist no military pyrotechnic systems designed to generate iodine vapor from metal fuels and iodine oxides. These metal/iodine oxide compounds readily and thoroughly react when provided with an ignition source to produce iodine vapor and metal oxides. The use of certain metals, such as brass (a copper/zinc blend), aluminum, copper, iron, and ferrotitanium (an iron/titanium blend) provides an additional layer of antimicrobial effect because each of these metals has biocidal properties and their metal oxides are biocidal. In this report, we discuss the theoretical modeling and results of experimentation with the metal fuel/iodine pentoxide reactions. These results show a strong biocidal action against the tested biological targets, suggesting use for these reactions in bioagent defeat applications.