Froment, Daniel

Departement des Recherches, Etudes et Techniques Delegation Generate pour VArmement 91710 Vert-le-Petit, FRANCE 

The problems posed by the elimination of old chemical deposits that still exist within a country s territory can no longer be addressed at a purely national level, but must be considered in the light of the liabilities ensuing from the signature and ratification by the member state of the text of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. 

The combatants in the 1914-18 war did not pre-plan the use of toxic gases on the battlefield. It was only after the front stabilised at trench lines that the requirement arose to make these positions untenable. Recourse to chemicals appeared to be the best means of achieving this aim. In a very short time more than 3000 compounds were therefore identified and examined to see if they could be used as war toxics, with most showing little or no effectiveness. Only about 30 were assessed as suitable for field use, and 12 were adopted and used intensively. Out of these 12,6 finally gave satisfactory results. 

Bunnett and M. Mihoiajczyk (eds.), Arsenic and Old Mustard Chemical Problems in the Destruction of Old Arsenical and Mustard Munitions, 17-32. 

It is interesting to note that, between the two wars, 1400 products were tested in France and 2 were finally selected. The total number of substances examined by the world s chemists for possible use as attack agents, since 1915, which is 81 years ago, has been estimated at 12,000. 

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Daniel Lincot, Michel Froment and Hubert Cachet ... 

Daniel Lincot, Michael Froment and Hubert Cachet Chemical Deposition of Chalcogenide Thin Films from Solutions.165... 

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