A Study of Candidate Replacement Materials for DOP (Dioctyl Phthalate) in Filter-Testing Penetrometer Machines
Abstract
For many decades dioctyl phthalate (DOP) has been the standard material used by the U.S. Army and many other agencies to simulate aerosol behavior in the performance of non-destructive gas mask and filter serviceability testing and vehicle or shelter penetration/vulnerability tests. Now, The U.S. Army Surgeon General has taken the position that DOP is a suspected carcinogen. Testing with DOP has been placed under tight controls, or stopped altogether. A safe replacement material for DOP is needed urgently. In this study, several classes of candidate DOP replacement materials having low inherent toxicities were identified by searches of computer data bases and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and discussions with manufacturers of materials recently introduced to the marketplace. About three dozen samples of promising materials were obtained and tested in two, filter-penetrometer machines: 1) a standard Q127 machine of the type used worldwide in gas mask filter testing, utilizing a 'hot smoke' generating scheme, and 2) the Los Alamos Monodispersed Aerosol Prototype Penetrometer (LAMAPP), a state-of-the-art developmental 'cold smoke' generating system. Several materials were identified that are viable candidates to replace DOP in both machines, and in filter testing generally, including isostearic acid, certain synthetic hydrocarbons, and oleic acid. Keywords: Fatty acids; Polyethylene glycols; Decomposition; Aging materials;Isostearic acid; Nucleation; Smokes (test); Penetrometer machines; Fatty acid esters.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADB131724
Entities
People
- Bernard V. Gerber
- Hugh R. Carlon
- Mark A. Guelta