Removal of nuclear, chemical and biological contaminants from electronics

With the increased use of sensitive electronic equipment on weapon systems in the military services comes an increased probability of contamination of this equipment by nuclear, chemical or biological (NBC) contaminants. The US Army has recognized a need for an effective method of removing NBC contaminants from avionics and other electronics without degradation to such equipment. The fact that trichlorotrifluoroethane (FC-113) is electrically nonconductive, compatible with electronic components, and is used as a cleaning solvent suggested the use of it for the removal of NBC contaminants from military equipment. The successful completion of an Army exploratory development study has resulted in the advanced development of a non-aqueous decontamination system (NAEDS) which will provide a decontamination capability for sensitive electronic equipment, such as night-vision goggles or communication items. The testing of this concept by the Chemical Research, Development and Engineering Center has demonstrated the ability of FC-113 to dissolve various liquid chemical agents