Jared B. DeCoste, David C. Doetschman, Szu-Wei Yang, Charles Kanyi, Chrispin Kowenje, and Barry Jones. Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
Since the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, India in 1984, isocyanates have been viewed as one of the most dangerous classes of chemicasl. The Environmental Protection Agency, along with many other resources, lists methyl isocyanate and 2,4/2,6 toluene diisocyanate (TDI) along with other isocyanates as hazardous wastes, and potential pollutants. , Isocyanates have been shown to be susceptible to nucleophilic attack across the nitrogen/carbon pi bond. The zeolite sodium Faujasite X, NaX, has been shown to have nucleophilic character at oxygen atoms that are directly bonded to an aluminum atom in the framework. Cyclohexyl isocyanate (CHIC), octyl isocyanate (OIC), and 2,4 diisocyante (T24DI) were adsorbed by NaX, and characterized in this study. The isocyanates react to give a carbamate framework species to the zeolite oxygen atom, the anionic isocyanate nitrogen is stabilized by the sodium cation. In T24DI only one of the isocyanate moieties is reacted. When the zeolite is then reacted with excess water and the unreacted isocyanate moiety forms the corresponding amine. This NaX adsorption of isocyanates has very practical applications, not only in hazardous materials cleanup, but also possibly in controlling the release of isocyanate vapors in the workplace and from factories.
Back to General Poster Session 1
Back to The 34th Northeast Regional Meeting (October 5-7 2006)