Cyanogen chloride detection

Detection in the field M18A2, M256, M256A1, M8 alarm, and Draeger Tube Cyanogen Chloride 0.25/a. 

Cyanides (reported as cyanide, hydrogen cyanide, sodium cyanide, potassium cyanide, calcium cyanide, or copper(I) cyanide) have been detected in air samples collected at 5 of the 406 hazardous waste sites where cyanides have been detected in some environmental medium (HazDat 1996). The HazDat information used includes data from both NPL and other Superfund sites. No information was found on detections of cyanogen, cyanogen chloride, or thiocyanates in air at any NPL or other Superfimd hazardous waste sites (HazDat 1996). 

In an alternative approach, cyanide and thiocyanate can be converted to cyanogen chloride using the chlorinating agent chloramine T. Conversion can be performed in solution or in the headspace. Conversion in solution followed by headspace analysis gave a detection limit of 5 ng/ml by gas chromatography/electron capture detection (GC/ECD) (72). Conversion in the headspace above acidified blood, in a precolumn packed with chloramine T powder and attached to the injection port of the GC, gave a detection limit of 50 ng/ml (73). 

Cyanogen chloride is a colorless liquid or gas, with a pungent acrid, bitter almond like, or choking odor that is generally detected at concentrations 1 ppm. It is expected to be soluble in water, alcohol, ether, and most organic solvents. 

CK hydrolyzes to form HCI and HOCl only slowly. However, the hydrolysis rate (Bailey and Bishop, 1973) increases in the presence of bases, such as sodium hydroxide. Although cyanogen chloride can be prepared by reacting cyanide with chlorine water, CICN reacts with hypochlorite at pH 7-8 (Price et al., 1947). Complete hydrolysis (aqueous sodium hydroxide/heat) of cyanogen chloride produces ammonia, and the detection of this ammonia was the basis for an early, nonspecific test for CICN. Ammonolysis of CICN using ethanohc ammonia produces cyanamide, NH2CN (Cloez and Cannizzaro, 1851) ... 

Liquid HCN plus cyanogen chloride or bromide. The additions prevented polymerization of the HCN and thus removed a hazard of explosion. The irritant was also said to provide a warning in case the HCN could not be detected. Developed by the German conglomerate IG Farben produced chemical weapons in WWI. Was used for mass murder in concentration camps. 

Detection. Automatic detectors are available which detect attack concentrations of vapors of hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen chloride and cyanogen bromide. Draeger tubes are also available, as are water testing kits. 

Cancho, B., F. Ventura, and M. T. Galceran. 2000. Simultaneous determination of cyanogen chloride and cyanogen bromide in treated water at submicrogram/L levels by a new solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatographic-electron capture detection method. 7. Chromatogr. A 897(1-2) 307-15. 

Cyanogen chloride is a colourless gas. Other cyanogen compoimds may exist as white solids. They may smell to some of bitter almonds, although the ability to detect the odour is genetically determined. 

The mono- and dibrominated chelates were also obtained by reaction of the acetylacetonates with cyanogen bromide in the presence of boron trifluoride ether-ate or aluminum chloride. In the absence of these Lewis acid catalysts cyanogen bromide does not react with these acetylacetonates. No trace of cyanogenated products was detected from these reactions. 

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