METALS IN MILITARY AFFAIRS

Chemistry teacher Bessudnova Yu.V.

Copper, No. 29 . During the Great Patriotic War, the main consumer copper there was a war industry. An alloy of copper (90%) and tin (10%) - gun metal. Cartridge and artillery shell casings are usually yellow in color. They are made of brass - an alloy of copper (68%) and zinc (32%). Most artillery brass shells are used repeatedly. During the war, in any artillery division there was a person (usually an officer) responsible for the timely collection of spent cartridges and sending them for reloading. High resistance to the corrosive effects of salt water is characteristic of marine brasses. This is brass with the addition of tin.

Molybdenum, No. 42 . Molybdenum is called a “military” metal, since 90% of it is used for military needs. Steels with the addition of molybdenum (and other microadditives) are very strong; gun barrels, rifles, shotguns, aircraft parts, and cars are made from them. The introduction of molybdenum into steels in combination with chromium or tungsten unusually increases their hardness ( tank armor).

Silver, No. 47. Silver in alloys with indium was used to make searchlights (for air defense). During the war, searchlight mirrors helped detect the enemy in the air, at sea and on land; sometimes tactical and strategic problems were solved with the help of searchlights. Thus, during the assault on Berlin by the troops of the First Belorussian Front, 143 searchlights of enormous aperture blinded the Nazis in their defensive zone, and this contributed to the rapid outcome of the operation.

Aluminum, No. 13. Aluminum is called a “winged” metal, since its alloys with Mg, Mn, Be, Na, Si are used in aircraft construction. The finest aluminum powder was used to produce flammable and explosive mixtures. The filling of incendiary bombs consisted of a mixture of aluminum, magnesium and iron oxide powders; mercury fulminate served as the detonator. When the bomb hit the roof, the detonator was activated, igniting the incendiary composition, and everything around began to burn. A burning incendiary composition cannot be extinguished with water, since hot magnesium reacts with it. Therefore, sand was used to extinguish the fire.

Titanium has unique properties: almost twice as light as iron, only one and a half times heavier than aluminum. At the same time, it is one and a half times stronger than steel, melts at a higher temperature, and has high corrosion resistance. The ideal metal for jet aircraft.

Magnesium, No. 12. The property of magnesium to burn with a white, dazzling flame is widely used in military equipment for the manufacture of lighting and signal flares, tracer bullets and shells, and incendiary bombs. Metallurgists use magnesium to deoxidize steel and alloys.

Nickel, No. 28. When the Soviet T-34 tanks appeared on the battlefields, German specialists were amazed at the invulnerability of their armor. By order from Berlin, the first captured T-34 was delivered to Germany. Here chemists took on it. They found that Russian armor contains a high percentage of nickel, which makes it super strong. Three qualities of this machine - fire power, speed, armor strength- had to be combined in such a way that none of them was sacrificed to the others. Our designers, led by M.I. Koshkin, managed to create the best tank of the Second World War. The tank's turret rotated at a record speed: it made a full rotation in 10 seconds instead of the usual 35 seconds. Thanks to its light weight and size, the tank was very maneuverable. Armor with a high nickel content not only turned out to be the most durable, but also had the most favorable angles of inclination, and therefore was invulnerable.

Vanadium, No. 23 . Vanadium called “car” metal. Vanadium steel made it possible to lighten cars, make new cars stronger, and improve their driving performance. Soldiers' helmets, helmets, and armor plates on cannons are made from this steel. Chrome vanadium steel is even stronger. Therefore, it began to be widely used in military equipment: for the manufacture of crankshafts of ship engines, individual parts of torpedoes, aircraft engines, and armor-piercing shells.

Lithium, No. 3. During the Great Patriotic War, lithium hydride became strategic. It reacts violently with water, releasing a large volume of hydrogen, which is used to fill balloons and rescue equipment during aircraft and ship accidents on the high seas. The addition of lithium hydroxide to alkaline batteries increased their service life by 2-3 times, which was very necessary for partisan detachments. Lithium-doped tracer bullets left a blue-green light during flight.Wolfram, No. 74. Tungsten is one of the most valuable strategic materials. Tungsten steels and alloys are used to make tank armor, shells for torpedoes and shells, the most important aircraft parts and engines.

Lead, No. 82. With the invention of firearms, a lot of lead began to be used to make bullets for shotguns, pistols and grapeshot for artillery. Lead is a heavy metal and has a high density. It was this circumstance that caused the massive use of lead in firearms. Lead projectiles were used in ancient times: the slingers of Hannibal's army threw lead balls at the Romans. And now bullets are cast from lead, only their shell is made from other, harder metals.

Cobalt, No. 27. Cobalt is called the metal of wonderful alloys (heat-resistant, high-speed). Cobalt steel was used to make magnetic mines.

Lantan, No. 57. During World War II, lanthanum glasses were used in field optical instruments. An alloy of lanthanum, cerium and iron produces the so-called “flint”, which was used in soldiers’ lighters. Special artillery shells were made from it, which spark during flight when friction with the air

Tantalus, No. 73. Experts in military technology believe that it is advisable to make some parts of guided projectiles and jet engines from tantalum. Tantalum is the most important strategic metal for the manufacture of radar installations and radio transmitters; metal reconstructive surgery.

Discipline: Chemistry and physics
Kind of work: Essay
Topic: Chemicals in warfare

Introduction.

Poisonous substances.

Inorganic substances in the service of the military.

The contribution of Soviet chemists to the victory of the Second World War.

Conclusion.

Literature.

Introduction.

We live in a world of different substances. In principle, a person does not need much to live: oxygen (air), water, food, basic clothing, housing. However

a person, mastering the world around him, gaining more and more knowledge about it, constantly changes his life.

In the second half

century, chemical science reached a level of development that made it possible to create new substances that had never coexisted in nature before. However,

While creating new substances that should serve for good, scientists also created substances that became a threat to humanity.

I thought about this when I was studying history

World War, I learned that in 1915. The Germans used gas attacks with toxic substances to win on the French front. What could the rest of the countries do?

First of all, to create a gas mask, which was successfully accomplished by N.D. Zelinsky. He said: “I invented it not to attack, but to protect young lives from

suffering and death." Well, then, like a chain reaction, new substances began to be created - the beginning of the era of chemical weapons.

How do you feel about this?

On the one hand, substances “stand” for the protection of countries. We can no longer imagine our lives without many chemicals, because they were created for the benefit of civilization

(plastics, rubber, etc.). On the other hand, some substances can be used for destruction; they bring “death.”

The purpose of my essay: to expand and deepen knowledge about the use of chemicals.

Objectives: 1) Consider how chemicals are used in warfare.

2) Get acquainted with the contribution of scientists to the victory of the Second World War.

Organic matter

In 1920 – 1930 there was a threat of the outbreak of the Second World War. The world's major powers were feverishly arming themselves, making the greatest efforts to do so.

Germany and the USSR. German scientists have created a new generation of toxic substances. However, Hitler did not dare to start a chemical war, probably realizing that its consequences for

comparatively small Germany and vast Russia will be incommensurable.

After World War II, the chemical arms race continued at a higher level. Developed countries currently do not produce chemical weapons, but

Huge reserves of deadly toxic substances have accumulated on the planet, which poses a serious danger to nature and society

Mustard gas, lewisite, sarin, soman,

Gases, hydrocyanic acid, phosgene, and another product that is usually depicted in the font “

" Let's take a closer look at them.

is a colorless

the liquid is almost odorless, which makes it difficult to detect

signs. He

applies

to the class of nerve agents. Sarin is intended

primarily for air contamination with vapors and fog, that is, as an unstable agent. In some cases, however, it can be used in drop-liquid form for

contamination of the area and military equipment located on it; in this case, the persistence of sarin can be: in summer - several hours, in winter - several days.

acts through the skin in droplet-liquid and vapor states, without causing any

this local defeat. Degree of sarin damage

depends on its concentration in the air and the time spent in the contaminated atmosphere.

When exposed to sarin, the affected person experiences drooling, profuse sweating, vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and seizures.

severe convulsions, paralysis and, as a result of severe poisoning, death.

Sarin formula:

b) Soman is a colorless and almost odorless liquid. Refers to

to the class of nerve agents

properties

on the body

person

it is about 10 times stronger.

Soman formula:

present

low-volatile

liquids

with a very high temperature

boiling, so

their durability is many times greater

longer than sarin. Like sarin and soman, they are classified as nerve agents. According to foreign press data, V-gases in 100 - 1000

times more toxic than other nerve agents. They are highly effective when acting through the skin, especially in a droplet-liquid state: contact with

human skin small drops

V-gases usually cause death in humans.

d) Mustard gas is a dark brown oily liquid with a characteristic

odor reminiscent of garlic or mustard. Belongs to the class of blister agents. Mustard gas slowly evaporates

Its durability on the ground is: in summer - from 7 to 14 days, in winter - a month or more. Mustard gas has a multifaceted effect on the body:

in droplet-liquid and vapor states, it affects the skin and

vapor - respiratory tract and lungs; when ingested with food and water, it affects the digestive organs. The effect of mustard gas does not appear immediately, but later

some time, called the period of latent action. When contacted with the skin, drops of mustard gas are quickly absorbed into it without causing pain. After 4 - 8 hours it appears on the skin

redness and itching. By the end of the first and beginning of the second day, small bubbles form, but

they merge

into single large bubbles filled with amber-yellow

liquid that becomes cloudy over time. Emergence

accompanied by malaise and fever. After 2-3 days, the blisters break through and reveal ulcers underneath that do not heal for a long time.

hits

infection, then suppuration occurs and healing time increases to 5 - 6 months. Organs

are affected

then signs of damage appear: a feeling of sand in the eyes, photophobia, lacrimation. The disease can last 10 - 15 days, after which recovery occurs. Defeat

digestive organs is caused by ingestion of food and water contaminated

In heavy

poisoning

then general weakness, headache, and

weakening of reflexes; discharge

acquire a foul odor. Subsequently, the process progresses: paralysis is observed, severe weakness appears

exhaustion.

If the course is unfavorable, death occurs between 3 and 12 days as a result of complete loss of strength and exhaustion.

In case of severe injuries, it is usually not possible to save a person, and if the skin is damaged, the victim loses his ability to work for a long time.

Mustard formula:

d) Hydrocyanic

acid - colorless

liquid

with a peculiar odor reminiscent of

in low concentrations the odor is difficult to distinguish.

Sinilnaya

evaporates

and is effective only in the vapor state. Refers to general toxic agents. Characteristic

signs of damage by hydrocyanic acid are: metal

mouth, throat irritation, dizziness, weakness, nausea. Then

painful appears...

Municipal state educational institution

"Chkalovskaya secondary school"

Chemistry in military service.

Dedicated to Victory Day.

Development of an Integrated

extracurricular activity

Teachers of Chemistry and Life Safety

MKOU "Chkalovskaya Secondary School"

Sheveleva V.B.

Lidzhiev D.D.

Interactive oral journal “Chemistry in military service”

Dedicated to Victory Day.

Goals:

1.Expand students’ knowledge about chemical elements and substances used in military affairs.

2.Develop interdisciplinary connections, the ability to work with various sources of information, multimedia presentations.

3. Formation of international feelings, feelings of patriotism. Popularization of chemical knowledge.

Equipment: Computer, multimedia projector.

Plan for organizing preparation for conducting an oral journal.

1. Divide the class into groups, give a task: find material and make a presentation:

Group 1: about chemical elements and substances used in military affairs

Group 2: about chemical warfare agents, about explosives, about polymers.

2. Prepare a test or questions on your topic for the game for the magazine prize - “Best Listener”.

Progress of the event.

Introductory speech by the teacher about the relevance of the topic.

Chemistry in military service

Dedicated to Victory Day

Slide No. 2-3 music “Holy War”.

Leading: “Chemistry spreads its hands wide into human affairs” - these words of M.V. Lomonosov will never lose their relevance. Slide number 4. In modern society, perhaps, there is no branch of production that is not in one way or another connected with this science. Chemistry is also necessary for those who have dedicated their lives to an important profession, the essence of which is to defend the Motherland.

The oral journal materials will allow you to find out what chemical science gives to the army.

Slide number 6. Page 1.

Chemical elements in warfare

Before you is the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements by D.I. Mendeleev. Many elements form substances widely used in warfare.

Slide number 7. Element No. 1. The action of a hydrogen bomb is based on the energy of a thermonuclear reaction with the participation of hydrogen isotopes - deuterium and tritium, which occurs with the formation of helium and the release of neutrons. A hydrogen bomb is more powerful than an atomic bomb.

Slide number 8. Element No. 2. Airships are filled with helium. Filled,
Helium-filled aircraft, unlike those filled with hydrogen, are safer.

Submariners also need helium. Scuba divers breathe liquefied air. When working at a depth of 100 m or more, nitrogen begins to dissolve in the blood. When rising from great depths, it is quickly released, which can lead to disturbances in the body. This means that the rise must be very slow. When replacing nitrogen with helium, such phenomena do not occur. Helium air is used by naval special forces, for whom the main thing is speed and surprise.

Slide number 9. Element No. 6. Carbon is part of organic substances, which form the basis of fuels, lubricants, explosives, and toxic substances. Coal is part of gunpowder and is used in gas masks.

Slide number 10. Element No. 8. Liquid oxygen is used as a fuel oxidizer for rockets and jet aircraft. When porous materials are impregnated with liquid oxygen, a powerful explosive is obtained - oxyliquit.

Slide number 11. Element No. 10. Neon is an inert gas that fills electric lamps. Neon light is far visible even in fog, which is why neon lamps are used in lighthouses and in signal installations of various types.

Slide number 12. Element No. 12. Magnesium burns with a blinding white flame, releasing a large amount of heat. This property is used to make incendiary bombs and flares. Magnesium is part of ultra-light and strong alloys used in aircraft construction.

Slide number 13. Element No. 13. Aluminum is an indispensable metal for the production of light and strong alloys that are used in aircraft and rocket production.

Slide number 14. Element No. 14. Silicon is a valuable semiconductor material; with increasing temperature, its electrical conductivity increases, which allows the use of silicon devices at high temperatures.
Slide number 15. Element No. 15: Phosphorus is used to make napalm and toxic organic phosphorus compounds.

Slide number 16. Element No. 16. Since ancient times, sulfur has been used in warfare as a flammable substance; it is also part of black powder.

Slide number 17. Element No. 17. Chlorine is part of many toxic substances. Element No. 35. Bromine is part of tear toxic substances - lachrymators. Element No. 33. Arsenic is part of chemical warfare agents.

Slide number 18. Element No. 22. Titanium gives steel hardness, elasticity, and high corrosion resistance. These properties are indispensable for the equipment of naval ships and submarines.

Slide number 19. Element No. 23. Vanadium steel, elastic, abrasion and tear resistant, corrosion resistant, used for constructionsmall high-speed sea ships, seaplanes, gliders.

Slide number 20. Element No. 24. Chromium is used in the production of special steels, in the manufacture of gun barrels, and armor plates. Steels containing more than 10% chromium hardly rust and are used to make submarine hulls.

Slide number 21. Element No. 26. In Antiquity and the Middle Ages, iron was depicted in the form of the god of war, Mars. During war, iron is consumed in huge quantities in shells, bombs, mines, grenades and other products. Element No. 53. Iodine is part of the Polaroid glasses that tanks are equipped with. Such glass allows the driver to see the battlefield, extinguishing the blinding glare of the flames. Element No. 42. Molybdenum alloys are used for the manufacture of ultra-sharp edged weapons. The addition of 1.5-2% of this metal to steel makes the armor plates of tanks invulnerable to shells, and the plating of ships chemically resistant to sea water.

Slide number 22. Element No. 29. Copper is the first metal used by man. Spear tips were made from it. Later it became known as gun metal: an alloy of 90% copper and 10% tin was used to cast gun barrels. And now the main consumer of copper is the military industry: aircraft and ship parts, brass casings, belts for projectiles, electrical parts - all this and much more is made from copper. Element No. 30. Zinc, together with copper, is part of brass - alloys necessary for military engineering. Artillery shell casings are made from it.

Slide number 23. Element No. 82. With the invention of firearms, lead began to be used in large quantities to make bullets for rifles and pistols, and buckshot for artillery. Lead protects against harmful radioactive radiation.

Slide number 24. Elements No. 88, 92, etc. Compounds of the radioactive elements radium, uranium and their relatives- raw materials for the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

Slide number 25-26. Test. 1. The production of a hydrogen bomb is based on the use of:

a) hydrogen isotopes b) oxygen isotopes

b) helium isotopes d) nitrogen isotopes

2. Airships make:

a) hydrogen b) nitrogen

b) helium d) a mixture of hydrogen and helium

3) Neon is used to fill electric lamps used in lighthouses and signal installations because it

a) beautiful b) shines far c) cheap d) inert

4. To protect against corrosion, submarine hulls are made of steel containing 10%:

a) Cu b) Zn c) Al d) Cr

5. What fuel oxidizer is used for rockets and aircraft:

a) liquid oxygen b) gasoline c) kerosene d) hydrogen

Leading. Page 2.

Slide No. 27-28. Chemical warfare agents

The initiative to use chemical warfare agents (CWs) as weapons of mass destruction belongs to Germany. The poisonous gas chlorine was first used on April 22, 1915 on the Western Front near the Belgian city of Ypres against Anglo-French troops. The first gas attack rendered the entire division defending this sector incapacitated: 15 thousand people were put out of action, 5 thousand of them permanently.

About a month later, the gas attack was repeated on the Eastern Front against Russian troops. On the night of May 31, 1915, in the area of ​​the Polish town of Bolimova, on a 12 km front section with the wind blowing towards Russian positions, 150 tons of poisonous gas were released from 12,000 cylinders. The forward lines of the area attacked by gases, which was a continuous labyrinth of trenches and communication routes, were littered with corpses and dying people. 9 thousand people were out of action.

The English poet Wilfred Owen, who died in the First World War, left a poem written under the impression of a gas attack:

Slide number 29 - Gas! Gas! Hurry! - Awkward movements, Pulling on masks in the acrid darkness...

One hesitated, choking and stumbling,

Floundering as if in fiery tar,

In the gaps of the muddy green fog.
Powerless, as in a dream, to intervene and help,

All I saw was that he was staggering,

He rushed and drooped - he couldn’t fight anymore.

In memory of the first gas attack, the poisonous substance dichlorodiethyl sulfide S(CH 2 CH 2 C1) 2 was called mustard gas. Chlorine is also contained in diphosgene CC1 3 OS(O)C1. But the herd (CH 3 ) 2 NP(O)(OC 2 H 5 )CN is a liquid with a strong fruity odor - a derivative of cyanophosphoric acid.

Toxic substances containing arsenic, unlike others, are able to penetrate through primitive gas masks. Causing unbearable irritation of the respiratory tract, expressed in sneezing and coughing, they force the person to tear off the mask and be exposed to the asphyxiating gas.

A special group of chemical agents consists of lachrymatory substances that cause lacrimation and sneezing. Thus, in 1918, the American chemist R. Adams proposed the substance adamsite, containing both arsenic and chlorine. It irritates the upper respiratory tract and can also ignite, producing a fine, toxic smoke.

Most lachrymators contain chlorine and bromine.

Modern combat agents are even more terrible and ruthless.

For self-defense, as well as during anti-terrorist operations, less toxic substances are used.

Slide number 30. Page 3.

Protection against toxic substances

In 1785, a pharmacist's assistant (later a Russian academician) Toviy Yegorovich Lovitz discovered that charcoal was capable of retaining (adsorbing) various liquid and gaseous substances on its surface. He pointed out the possibility of using this property for practical purposes, such as water purification. From 1794%. activated carbon began to be used to purify raw sugar. The adsorption phenomenon found original application in England, where coal was used to purify the air supplied to the Parliament building.

However, it was only during the First World War that this property began to be used on a large scale. The reason for this was the use of toxic substances for the mass destruction of manpower of the warring armies.

The outbreak of chemical warfare was preparing countless victims and suffering for humanity. The creation of protection against chemical agents was made possible by the use of one of the varieties of amorphous carbon - charcoal.

Slide No. 31-32. The outstanding chemist Professor N.D. Zelinsky (later an academician) developed, tested and in July 1915 proposed a gas mask operating on the basis of the phenomenon of adsorption occurring on the surface of coal particles. The passage of poisoned air through coal completely freed it from impurities and protected soldiers protected by a gas mask from chemical warfare agents.

The invention of N.D. Zelinsky saved many human lives.

As new toxic substances were developed, the gas mask was also improved. Along with activated carbon, modern gas masks also use more active adsorbents.

Slide No. 33-34. Page 4.

Explosives

There is no consensus on the invention of gunpowder: it is believed that fire powder came to us from the ancient Chinese, Arabs, or maybe it was invented by the medieval alchemical monk Roger Bacon.

In Rus', specialists in the production of “cannon potion” were called potion makers.

Black powder is called smoky. For many years it shrouded battlefields in clouds of smoke, making people and machines indistinguishable.

A step forward was the use of explosive organic substances in warfare: they turned out to be more powerful and produced less smoke.

Among organic substances there is a group of nitro compounds, the molecules of which contain a group of -NO atoms 2 . These substances decompose easily, often explosively. Increasing the number of nitro groups in a molecule increases the ability of a substance to explode. Modern explosives are produced on the basis of nitro compounds.

A phenol derivative, trinitrophenol, or picric acid, is capable of exploding upon detonation and is used to fill artillery shells under the name “melinite.”

A toluene derivative, trinitrotoluene (TNT, tol) is one of the most important crushing explosives. It is used in huge quantities for the manufacture of artillery shells, mines, and demolition bombs. The power of other explosives is compared with the power of TNT and expressed in TNT equivalent.

A derivative of the polyhydric alcohol glycerin, nitroglycerin, is a liquid that explodes when ignited, detonated, or simply shaken. Nitroglycerin can decompose almost instantly, releasing heat and a huge amount of gases: 1 liter of it produces up to 10,000 liters of gases. It is not suitable for shooting, because it would tear the barrels of weapons. It is used for blasting work, but not in its pure form (it explodes very easily), but in a mixture with porous infusor soil or sawdust. This mixture is called dynamite. Alfred Nobel developed the industrial production of dynamite. When mixed with nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin produces a gelatinous explosive mass - explosive jelly.

A cellulose derivative, trinitrocellulose, otherwise called pyroxylin, also has explosive properties and is used to make smokeless gunpowder. The method for producing smokeless gunpowder (pyrocollodia) was developed by D.I. Mendeleev.

Slide No. 35-36. Page 5.

Magic glass in the army

Glass used in military equipment must have some specific properties.

The army needs precision optics. The addition of gallium compounds to the starting materials makes it possible to obtain glasses with a high refractive index of light rays. Such glasses are used in guidance systems of missile systems and navigation instruments. Glass coated with a layer of gallium metal reflects almost all light, up to 90%, which makes it possible to produce mirrors with high reflection accuracy. Similar mirrors are used in navigation instruments and gun guidance systems when firing at invisible targets, in lighthouse systems, and periscope systems of submarines. These mirrors can withstand very high temperatures, which is why they are used in rocket technology. To enhance the optical properties, germanium compounds are also added to the raw materials for glass production.

Infrared optics are widely used: glasses that transmit heat rays well are used in night vision devices. Gallium oxide gives these properties to glass. The devices are used by reconnaissance groups and border patrols.

Back in 1908, a method for producing thin glass fibers was developed, but only recently did scientists propose making double-layer glass fibers - light guides, which are used in the army communications system. So, the cable is 7 mm thick. composed of 300 individual fibers, provides 2 million telephone conversations simultaneously.

The introduction of metal oxides in different oxidation states into glass imparts electrical conductivity to the glass. Similar semiconductor glasses are used for television equipment in space rockets.

Glass is an amorphous material, but now crystalline glass materials are also produced - glass ceramics. Some of them have a hardness comparable to that of steel, and a coefficient of thermal expansion almost equal to that of quartz glass, which can withstand sudden changes in temperature.

Slide No. 37-38. Page 6.

Use of polymersin the military-industrial complex

XX century called the century of polymer materials. Polymers are widely used in the military industry. Plastics have replaced wood, copper, nickel and bronze, and other non-ferrous metals in the construction of aircraft and cars. Thus, on average, a combat aircraft contains 100,000 parts made of plastic.

Polymers are necessary for the manufacture of individual elements of small arms (handles, magazines, butts), the bodies of some mines (usually anti-personnel) and fuses (to make them difficult to detect by a mine detector), and insulation of electrical wiring.

Polymers are also used to produce anti-corrosion and waterproofing coatings for the cups of missile system silos and container caps for mobile combat missile systems. The housings of many electrical appliances, radiation, chemical and biological protection devices, control elements of devices and systems (toggle switches, switches, buttons) are made of polymers.

Modern technology requires materials that are chemically resistant at elevated temperatures. These properties are possessed by fibers made from fluorine-containing polymers - fluoroplastics, which are stable at temperatures from -269 to +260 ° C. Fluoroplastics are used for the manufacture of battery containers: along with chemical resistance, they have strength, which is important in field conditions. High heat resistance and chemical resistance make it possible to use fluoroplastics as an electrical insulating material used in extreme conditions: in rocket technology, field radio stations, underwater equipment, and underground missile silos.

With the development of modern types of weapons, substances that can withstand high temperatures for hundreds of hours have become in demand. Structural materials made on the basis of heat-resistant fibers are used in aircraft and helicopter construction.

Polymers are also used as explosives (for example, pyroxylin). Modern plastids also have a polymer structure.

Presenter: The last page of the magazine is closed.

You are convinced that chemical knowledge is necessary to strengthen the defense capability of our Motherland, and the power of our state is a reliable stronghold of peace.

Questions for the best listener prize:

1. Which gas was first used as an agent?
2. What was the name of this gas?
3. What substance has adsorbing properties?
4. Who invented the first gas mask?
5. Why is black powder called smoky?
6. What substances are now used to produce more powerful explosives?
7. Who developed the production of smokeless powder?
8. What explosive did Alfred Nobel develop?
9. What properties of polymer materials are used in the military-industrial complex?

Method support.

1. Scientific and methodological journal “Chemistry at school” - M.: Tsentrkhimpress, No. 4, 2009
2. Internet resources

Office decoration. Portraits of chemical scientists, the newspaper “Chemical Weapons Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”, the newspaper “Chemical Elements in the Service of the Motherland”, an exhibition of books about the war, reproductions, photographs; equipment: overhead projector, video recorder, tape recorder.

Teacher. Today we are holding a conference dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the victory of our people in the Second World War. With this conference we want to show that victory was forged in the rear through the work of many Soviet people, prominent scientists, talk about the use of many well-known chemicals during the war, and show interesting experiments. So, “Chemistry and War.”

1st student.

“It seemed that the flowers were cold,
And they faded slightly from the dew.
The dawn that walked through the grass and bushes,
We searched through German binoculars.
A flower, covered in dewdrops, clung to the flower,
And the border guard extended his hands to them.
And the Germans, having finished drinking coffee, at that moment
They climbed into the tanks and closed the hatches.
Everything breathed such silence,
It seemed that the whole earth was still sleeping
Who knew that between peace and war
Only about five minutes left."

2nd student.Let us remember the beginning of the war, 1941. German tanks were rushing towards Moscow, the Red Army literally held back the enemy with its breasts. There was a shortage of uniforms, food and ammunition, but most importantly, there was a catastrophic lack of anti-tank weapons. During this critical period, enthusiastic scientists came to the rescue: in two days, at one of the military factories, the production of KS (Kachurin-Solodovnikov) bottles, or simply bottles with a combustible mixture, was launched. This simple chemical device destroyed German equipment not only at the beginning of the war, but even in the spring of 1945 - in Berlin.
What were the KS bottles? Ampules containing concentrated sulfuric acid, bertholite salt, and powdered sugar were attached to an ordinary bottle with a rubber band. ( Bottle model demonstration .) Gasoline, kerosene or oil was poured into the bottle. As soon as such a bottle broke on the armor upon impact, the components of the fuse entered into a chemical reaction, a strong flash occurred, and the fuel ignited.
Reactions illustrating the action of the fuse(reaction equations are projected onto the screen through the overhead projector):

3KClO 3 + H 2 SO 4 = 2ClO 2 + K ClO 4 + K 2 SO 4 + H 2 O,

2ClO 2 = Cl 2 + 2O 2,

C 12 H 22 O 11 + 12O 2 = 12CO 2 + 11H 2 O.

The three components of the fuse are taken separately; they cannot be mixed in advance, because an explosive mixture results.

Demonstration experience . The effect of H 2 SO 4 on a mixture of KClO 3 and powdered sugar. 1 g finely crystalline KСlO 3 is carefully mixed with 1 g of powdered sugar. Pour the mixture onto the crucible lid and moisten it with 2-3 drops of concentrated H2SO4. The mixture bursts into flames.

Muffled gunfire and bomb explosions can be heard in the background.
3rd student. During the war years, many of our peers were on duty on the roofs of houses during raids, extinguishing incendiary bombs. The filling of such bombs was a mixture of powders Al, Mg and iron oxide, mercury fulminate served as the detonator. When the bomb hit the roof, the detonator was activated, igniting the incendiary composition, and everything around began to burn. The screen shows the equations for the reactions that occur when a bomb explodes:

4Al + 3O 2 = 2Al 2 O 3,

2Mg + O 2 = 2MgO,

3Fe 3 O 4 + 8Al = 9Fe + 4Al 2 O 3.

A burning incendiary composition cannot be extinguished with water, because hot magnesium reacts with water:

Mg + 2H 2 O = Mg(OH) 2 + H 2.

4th student. Aluminum was used not only in incendiary bombs, but also for the “active” protection of aircraft. Thus, when repelling air raids on Hamburg, operators of German radar stations discovered unexpected interference on the indicator screens, which made it impossible to recognize signals from approaching aircraft. The interference was caused by aluminum foil strips dropped by Allied aircraft. During the raids on Germany, approximately 20,000 tons of aluminum foil were dropped.

5th student.During night raids, bombers dropped flares by parachute to illuminate the target. The composition of such a rocket included magnesium powder, pressed with special compounds, and a fuse made of coal, bertholite salt and calcium salts. When the flare was launched, the fuse burned high above the ground with a beautiful bright flame; As it decreased, the light gradually became more even, bright and white - this was the magnesium lighting up. Finally, when the target was illuminated and visible as well as during the day, the pilots began targeted bombing.

Demonstration experience. Burning magnesium tape (student shows experience).

6th student. Magnesium was used not only to create lighting rockets. The main consumer of this metal was military aviation. A lot of magnesium was required, so it was even extracted from sea water. The technology for extracting magnesium is as follows: sea water is mixed in huge tanks with milk of lime, then, by treating the precipitate with hydrochloric acid, magnesium chloride is obtained. During electrolysis of the melt MgCl2 obtain metal magnesium(reaction equations are projected onto the screen):

7th student.In 1943, Danish physicist and Nobel Prize winner Niels Henrik David Bohr, fleeing the Nazi occupiers, was forced to leave Copenhagen. But he kept two gold Nobel medals from his colleagues, the German anti-fascist physicists James Frank and Max von Laue (Bohr’s own medal had been taken from Denmark earlier). Not risking taking the medals with him, the scientist dissolved them in aqua regia and placed the unremarkable bottle further away on a shelf where many similar bottles and vials with various liquids were collecting dust. Returning to his laboratory after the war, Bohr first of all found a precious bottle. At his request, the staff separated the gold from the solution and re-made both medals. The screen shows the equation for the reaction of dissolving gold in aqua regia:

8th student. There is another interesting story connected with gold. At the end of the war, the rulers of the “independent” Slovenian state, formed by Hitler on the territory of Czechoslovakia, decided to hide part of the country’s gold reserves. When the front line drew significantly closer, the SS surrounded the bank building, and the officer, threatening the employees with execution, ordered the valuables to be surrendered. A few minutes later, the boxes of gold moved from the safes to SS trucks. The raiders did not suspect that the boxes contained bars of “gold”, prudently made by the director of the mint from... tin! The real gold remained in hiding to await the end of the war.

9th student.It would be unfair not to remember gunpowder today. During the war, nitrocellulose (smokeless) and less often black (smoky) gunpowder were mainly used. The basis of the first is the high-molecular explosive nitrocellulose, and the second is a mixture of potassium nitrate (75%), coal (15%) and sulfur (10%). The formidable combat Katyushas and the famous IL-2 attack aircraft were armed with rockets, the fuel for which was ballistic (smokeless) gunpowder - one of the varieties of nitrocellulose gunpowder.

The cordite explosive used to fill grenades and explosive bullets contains approximately 30% nitroglycerin and 65% pyroxylin (pyroxylin is cellulose trinitrate).

Demonstration experience. Combustion of smokeless powder - nitrocellulose.

10th student. In 1934, a ban was imposed in Germany on all publications related to H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide). In 1938–1942 engineer Helmut Walter built a submarine
U-80, which ran on high concentration hydrogen peroxide. During testing, the U-80 showed a high underwater speed of 28 knots (52 km/h). Back in 1934, the first submarine with two turbines powered by H2O2 . In total, the Germans managed to build 11 such boats. Highly efficient hydrogen peroxide power plants were developed not only for submarines, but also for aircraft, and later for V-1 and V-2 rockets.

11th student.The propulsion system of the U-80 boat worked according to the so-called cold process. Hydrogen peroxide decomposed in the presence of sodium and calcium permanganates. The resulting water vapor and oxygen were used as a working fluid in the turbine and removed overboard(the reaction equation is projected onto the screen):

Ca(MnO 4) 2 + 3H 2 O 2 = 2MnO 2 + Ca(OH) 2 + 2H 2 O + 3O 2.

Unlike the U-80, the engines of later submarines operated using a "hot process": H 2 O 2 decomposed into water vapor and oxygen. Liquid fuel was burned in oxygen. Water vapor mixed with gases generated from fuel combustion. The resulting mixture drove the turbine.

These days, the submarine fleet has acquired strategic importance. Nuclear power plants have increased the range of submarines many times over. Continuous monitoring of the composition of the air that submariners breathe, its cleaning and conditioning have become more important than ever. The role of chemical air purification and regeneration agents is still paramount. Therefore, submariners can rightfully say: “Chemistry is life.”

12th student. A difficult task faced the air defense forces. Thousands of aircraft were sent to our homeland, the pilots of which already had war experience in Spain, Poland, Norway, Belgium, and France. Every possible means was used to protect the cities. So, in addition to anti-aircraft guns, the sky above the cities was protected by hydrogen-filled balloons, which prevented German bombers from diving. During night raids, pilots were blinded by specially ejected compounds containing strontium and calcium salts. Ions Ca 2+ colored the flame brick red, ions Sr 2+ - in raspberry.

Demonstration experience . Flame coloring with strontium and calcium salts. Strips of filter paper are moistened in concentrated solutions of calcium and strontium nitrates. The dried strips are fixed on a metal rod. When the strips are ignited, they burn, coloring the flame brick-red (Ca 2+ cation) and crimson (Sr 2+ cation) color.

13th student.To fill balloons with hydrogen in the military, a silicone method was used, based on the interaction of silicon with a solution of sodium hydroxide. The reaction follows the equation:

Si + 2NaOH + H 2 O = Na 2 SiO 3 + 2H 2.

Lithium hydride was often used to produce hydrogen. Pills LiH served American pilots as a portable source of hydrogen. In case of accidents over the sea, under the influence of water, the tablets instantly decomposed, filling life-saving equipment with hydrogen - inflatable boats, vests, signal balloons-antennas:

LiH + H 2 O = LiOH + H 2 .

14th student. Artificially created smoke screens helped save the lives of thousands of Soviet soldiers. These curtains were created using smoke-forming substances. Covering crossings across the Volga at Stalingrad and during the crossing of the Dnieper, the smoke pollution of Kronstadt and Sevastopol, the widespread use of smoke screens in the Berlin operation - this is not a complete list of their use during the Great Patriotic War. One of the first smoke-forming substances was white phosphorus. The smoke screen when using white phosphorus consists of oxide particles(R 2 O 3, R 2 O 5) and drops of phosphoric acid.

Demonstration experience. "Smoke without fire." A few drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid are poured into the cylinder, and a few drops of a 25% ammonia solution are dripped onto the glass. The cylinder is covered with glass. White smoke is produced.

15th student. At the beginning of the war, when many ships sank from torpedoes and bombs attached to specially trained sharks, the need arose for a reliable means of protection against sharks. Many shark hunters and scientists have taken part in solving this problem. Ernest Hemingway helped these studies - he showed the places where he himself hunted sea predators more than once. It turned out that sharks simply cannot tolerate copper(II) sulfate. Sharks walked a mile away from baits treated with this substance, and greedily grabbed baits without copper sulfate.
Teacher. Now the 8th grade students will give short messages to us.

Periodic table in defense of the Motherland

Each student holds a tablet with the symbol of the element he is talking about.

Student messages

During the Great Patriotic War, the element lithium acquired particular importance. Lithium metal reacts violently with water, releasing a large volume of hydrogen, which was used to fill balloons and rescue equipment during aircraft and ship accidents on the high seas. The addition of lithium hydroxide to alkaline batteries increases their service life by 2–3 times, which was very necessary for partisan detachments. Tracer bullets with Li additives left a blue-green trace during flight. Lithium compounds have been used on submarines to purify air.

Beryllium bronze (an alloy of copper and 1–2.5% Be with additions of 0.2–0.5% Ni and Co) is used in aircraft construction. And the alloy of Be, Mg, Al, Ti is necessary in the creation of missiles and high-speed aircraft machine guns, first used during the war.

Nitrogen is necessarily included in the composition of explosives. No explosive can be prepared without nitric acid HNO 3 and its salts.

Based on Mg and Al, strong and ultra-light alloys were produced for aircraft construction.

An alloy of titanium (up to 88%) with other metals is used to make tank armor. In 1943, Hitler issued an order to engage Soviet IS-3 tanks at a distance of no more than 1 km. The composition of the armor of this tank was such that it could not be penetrated by fascist shells. Titanium is also used in radio engineering.

Soldiers' helmets, helmets, armor plates on cannons, and armor-piercing shells were made from vanadium steel.

Chrome steels are needed for the manufacture of firearms and submarine hulls.

More than 90% of all metals used in World War II were iron. Fe is the main constituent of cast iron and steel.
Cobalt steel was used to make magnetic mines.

Alloy of Cu (90%) and Sn (10%) – gun metal. An alloy of Cu (68%) and Zn (32%) - brass - was used to make artillery shells and cartridges.

Without germanium there would be no radars.

Arsenic is a component of toxic substances.

Tantalum is the most important strategic material for the manufacture of radar installations and radio transmitting stations.

Tank armor, shells of torpedoes and shells are made from tungsten steels and alloys.

The greatest achievement of science has given rise to the greatest tragedy of mankind. The first atomic (uranium) bomb was created in the USA and dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

The first plutonium bomb was also made in the USA. On August 9, 1945, it was dropped on Nagasaki. Its explosion resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of severe injuries. The consequences of the explosion are still affecting new generations.

Teacher. The floor is given to 9th grade students.

Chemical scientists during the period
Great Patriotic War

1st student. Together with all the working people of our country, Soviet scientists took an active part in ensuring victory over Nazi Germany during the Great Patriotic War. Chemical scientists created new methods for producing a wide variety of materials, explosives, fuel for Katyusha rockets, high-octane gasoline, rubber, materials for making armor steel, light alloys for aviation, and medicines. By the end of the war, the output of chemical products approached the pre-war level, and in 1945 it reached 92% of the 1940 level.
We will talk about the activities of some chemist scientists during the war.

The stand presents portraits of chemist scientists. Pupils talk about scientists and show their portraits.

2nd student. Alexander Erminingeldovich Arbuzov. An outstanding scientist, the founder of one of the newest areas of science - the chemistry of organophosphorus compounds. His entire life and work were inextricably linked with the famous Kazan school of chemists. Arbuzov's research during the war years was entirely devoted to the needs of defense and medicine. Thus, in March 1943, the most prominent Soviet optical physicist S.I. Vavilov wrote to Arbuzov: “Dear Alexander Erminingeldovich! I am writing to you with a big request: to produce 15 g of 3,6-diaminophthalimide in your laboratory. It turned out that this drug received from you has valuable properties in terms of fluorescence and adsorption, and now we need it for the manufacture of a new defensive optical device...” Much later, Arbuzov learned that the drug he had made was sufficient to supply optics to the tank units of our army and was important for detecting the enemy at a long distance. Subsequently, Arbuzov carried out other orders from the Optical Institute for the production of various reagents.

3rd student. Nikolai Dmitrievich Zelinsky. An entire era in the history of Russian chemistry is associated with the name of Zelinsky. Possessing the creative power of thought and being a patriot of his homeland, Zelinsky went down in its history as a scientist who, at critical moments in the historical destinies of his country, without hesitation stood in its defense. This was the case with the gas mask in the First World War, with synthetic gasoline in civilian use and aviation fuel in the Great Patriotic War. Zelinsky in the period 1941–1945 - this is not just a research chemist, he was already famous for perhaps the largest scientific school in the country, whose research was aimed at developing methods for producing high-octane fuel for aviation, monomers for synthetic
rubber.

4th student. Nikolai Nikolaevich Semenov. Academician Semenov's contribution to ensuring victory in the war was entirely determined by the theory of branched chain reactions he developed. This theory gave chemists the ability to accelerate reactions up to the formation of an explosive avalanche, slow them down, and even stop them at any intermediate stage. Research into the processes of explosion, combustion, and detonation carried out by Semenov and his colleagues already in the early 1940s. led to outstanding results. New achievements during the war were used in one form or another in the production of cartridges, artillery shells, explosives, and incendiary mixtures for flamethrowers. Research has been conducted on the reflection and collision of shock waves during explosions. The results of these studies were used already in the first period of the war to create cumulative shells, grenades and mines to combat enemy tanks.

A fragment of the feature film “Liberation” is shown, where Hitler examines the holes in tanks made by our shells.

5th student. Alexander Evgenievich Fersman. From the speech of Academician Fersman at an anti-fascist rally of Soviet scientists, 1941, Moscow: “The war required a huge amount of basic types of strategic raw materials. A whole series of new metals were required for aviation, for armor-piercing steel, magnesium and strontium were required for flares and torches, more iodine was required and a long range of a wide variety of substances was required. And we have the responsibility for providing strategic raw materials. It is necessary to help with your knowledge to create the best tanks and airplanes in order to quickly liberate all nations from the invasion of Hitler’s gang.”
Fersman has said more than once that his life is a love story for stone. He is a discoverer and tireless researcher of apatites on the Kola Peninsula, radium ores in Fergana, sulfur in the Karakum Desert, tungsten deposits in Transbaikalia, one of the founders of the rare elements industry.

From the first days after the start of the war, Fersman was actively involved in the restructuring of science and industry on a war footing. He carried out special work on military engineering geology, military geography, camouflage paints, and on issues of strategic raw materials.

6th student. Semyon Isaakovich Volfkovich. The largest Soviet chemist-technologist, was the director of the Research Institute of Fertilizers and Insecticides, and worked on phosphorus compounds. Employees of the institute he headed created phosphorus-sulfur alloys for glass bottles, which served as anti-tank “bombs,” and produced chemical heating pads that were used to heat patrol soldiers. The sanitary service needed anti-frostbite, burns, and medicines. The staff of his institute worked on this.

7th student. Ivan Ludvigovich Knunyants. During and after the war, he was a professor and head of the department of the Military Academy of Chemical Defense. The prize, which Ivan Lyudvigovich Knunyants was awarded in 1943, was awarded to him for the development of a reliable means of individual protection of people from toxic substances. Ivan Lyudvigovich is the founder of the chemistry of organofluorine compounds.

1st student. Mikhail Mikhailovich Dubinin. Even before the start of the Great Patriotic War, as head of the department and professor at the Military Academy of Chemical Defense, he conducted research on the sorption of gases, vapors and dissolved substances by solid porous bodies. Mikhail Mikhailovich is a recognized authority on all major issues related to chemical respiratory protection.

2nd student. Nikolai Nikolaevich Melnikov. From the very beginning of the war, scientists were tasked with developing and organizing the production of drugs to combat infectious diseases, primarily typhus, which is carried by lice. Under the leadership of Melnikov, the production of dust and various antiseptics for wooden aircraft parts was organized.

3rd student. Alexander Naumovich Frumkin. An outstanding scientist, one of the founders of the modern science of electrochemical processes, founder of the Soviet school of electrochemists. He dealt with the issues of protecting metals from corrosion, developed a physical and chemical method for fastening soils for airfields, and a recipe for fire-retardant impregnation of wood. Together with his colleagues, he developed electrochemical fuses. I would like to quote Frumkin’s words at an anti-fascist rally of Soviet scientists in 1941: “I am a chemist. Let me speak today on behalf of all Soviet chemists. There is no doubt that chemistry is one of the essential factors on which the success of modern warfare depends. The production of explosives, quality steels, light metals, fuels - all these are various uses of chemistry, not to mention special forms of chemical weapons. In modern warfare, German chemistry has given the world one “new thing” so far - the massive use of stimulants and narcotic substances that are given to German soldiers before sending them to certain death. Soviet chemists call on scientists all over the world to use their knowledge to fight fascism.”

4th student. Sergey Semenovich Nametkin is one of the founders of petrochemical science. He successfully worked in the field of synthesis of new organometallic compounds, poisonous and explosive substances. During the war, Sergei Semenovich devoted a lot of effort to developing the production of motor fuels and oils, and dealt with issues of chemical protection.

5th student. Valentin Alekseevich Kargin. Academician Valentin Alekseevich Kargin's research covers a wide range of issues related to physical chemistry, electrochemistry and physical chemistry of high-molecular compounds. Kargin developed special materials for the manufacture of clothing that protects against the effects of toxic substances, the principle and technology of a new method of processing protective fabrics, chemical compositions that make felted shoes waterproof, and special types of rubber for combat vehicles of our army.

6th student. Yuri Arkadyevich Klyachko. Professor, Deputy Head of the Military Academy of Chemical Defense and Head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry. He organized a battalion from the chemical defense academy and was the head of the combat sector on the closest approaches to Moscow. Under his leadership, work was launched to create new means of chemical defense, including smoke, antidotes, and flamethrowers.

Chemical weapons - chemical warfare agents

Teacher. Now we will tell you about a more modern and terrible weapon - chemical weapons. I give the floor to 10th grade students.
Formulas of toxic substances are made in ink on whatman paper, and synthesis schemes are projected onto the screen through an overhead projector.
1st student. On April 22, 1915, during the Battle of the Ypres River (Belgium), German troops used a poisonous substance for the first time, releasing a huge toxic cloud of chlorine. Thus began the chemical war.
Wilfred Owen was one of the revered poets of the First World War. Here is an excerpt from his poem describing the death of a soldier from chlorine poisoning during a gas attack. The title of the poem was the beginning of a line borrowed from the ancient Roman poet Horace: “There is no greater joy and honor than to die for one’s country.”

2nd student.

Bent over like beggars with bags,
With my back to the pursuing flashes of battle,
Limping, coughing violently, we trudged
Tiredly to the place of longed-for peace.
They walked, dozing as they went, losing their shoes in the mud,
We obediently dragged ourselves through this hell,
We wandered by touch, without distinguishing behind
Silent explosions of gas grenades.
Gas! Gas! Hurry! - Awkward movements
Putting on masks in the acrid haze.
One hesitated, choking and stumbling,
Floundering as if in fiery tar,
In the gaps of the muddy green fog,
Powerless, as in a dream, to intervene and help,
All I saw was that he was staggering,
He rushed and drooped - he couldn’t fight anymore.
Oh, if only you would trudge along with us later
Behind the cart where they threw him,
I looked into the face with gaping eyesores,
Seeing nothing else
I heard the jolts of the cart again and again
Blood bubbled in lungs clogged with foam, -
You wouldn't dare, my friend, to repeat
Hackneyed lies, inflaming naive youths:
“There is no more joy and honor to give one’s life,
Dying as a soldier for his homeland!”

3rd student. During the First World War, the research of outstanding chemists N.D. Zelinsky and N.A. Shilov led to the development of a gas mask, which saved the lives of thousands of people: losses from chemical weapons far exceeded the consequences of the most severe disasters in peacetime.
In 1920–1930 the threat of the outbreak of the Second World War loomed. The world's major powers were feverishly arming themselves, with Germany and the USSR making the greatest efforts for this. However, even having possession of a new generation of toxic substances, Hitler did not dare to start a chemical war, probably realizing that its consequences for the relatively small Germany and vast Russia would be incommensurable.

4th student. After the Second World War, the chemical arms race continued at a higher level. Currently, the world's leading powers do not produce chemical weapons, but the planet has accumulated huge reserves of deadly toxic substances, which pose a serious danger to nature and society.
The following products were adopted and stored in warehouses: mustard gas, lewisite, sarin, soman and another product, which is usually designated by the American code “VX”. Let's take a closer look at them.

5th student. The German chemist W. Meyer discovered thiophene and suggested that Nikolai Dmitrievich Zelinsky carry out the synthesis of tetrahydrothiophene. “Following the path of such a synthesis,” Zelinsky wrote, “I prepared an intermediate product - dichlorodiethyl sulfide, which turned out to be a strong poison, from which I suffered severely, received burns to my hands and body.”
Mustard gas is a skin-nervous toxic substance. Penetrating through the skin, this liquid causes the formation of blisters and difficult-to-heal ulcers, affecting the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, and circulatory system. In case of severe injuries, it is usually not possible to save a person, and in case of skin damage, the victim loses his ability to work for a long time. There are many methods for the industrial synthesis of mustard gas (reaction equations are shown on the screen):

As can be seen from the above diagrams, the raw materials used and the relative ease of synthesis made mustard gas available to many countries with a fairly developed chemical industry.
6th student.The name of another toxic substance is lewisite.

The raw materials for producing lewisite are arsenic(III) chloride and acetylene:

This substance was developed by American scientists as an alternative to German mustard gas. The toxic effect of lewisite is similar to that of mustard gas, but is significantly weaker, and damage to it usually ends with recovery.

7th student. A significant portion of people killed by chemical weapons were victims of phosgene and hydrocyanic acid.

Phosgene and hydrocyanic acid are large-scale products of the chemical industry. The technology for their production is based on reactions that correspond to the following schemes:

Under normal conditions, phosgene and hydrocyanic acid are gaseous substances, so they affect humans through the respiratory system.

8th student. In 1940–1950 A new generation of toxic substances has appeared - nerve agents. All substances with this effect are classified as organophosphorus compounds. These are esters of phosphoric and alkylphosphonic acids.
The first organophosphate poisonous substance was tabun. Further research led to the development of groups of alkyl esters of fluorophosphonic acids, among which sarin and soman turned out to be the most toxic.

Organophosphate poisons cause muscle contraction, convulsions, constriction of the pupils, and then death.

9th student. The simplest from a technological point of view is the production of sarin. The diagram shows one of the options for the synthesis of sarin, developed in Germany during the Second World War:

Soman can be obtained in a similar way, using 3,3-dimethylbutanol-2 at the last stage instead of isopropyl alcohol.

10th student. In 1956, the Swedish biochemist L. Tammelin synthesized thiocholinephosphonates - substances that meet the general formula:

These compounds turned out to be extremely toxic: one drop of the substance that got on the skin caused fatal poisoning. All research related to compounds of this class was immediately classified, and soon industrial production of such an organophosphorus substance was organized in the USA under the code “VX” with the composition: R = methyl, R"= ethyl
R""= isopropyl. In the 1960s VX gases have taken a leading place in the arsenals of superpowers. Its reserves turned out to be so huge that industrial production in the United States was stopped in 1969.

11th student. Today, among the stocks of chemical weapons stored in military warehouses, there are mainly nerve agents
(about 32 thousand tons), skin-nerve toxic substances (about 6 thousand tons).
The use of chemical weapons in our days is completely excluded, so it was necessary to resolve the issue of their future fate.
The decision was made to destroy chemical weapons. In the first half of the 20th century. he was either drowned in the sea or buried in the ground. There is no need to explain what consequences such burials are fraught with. Nowadays toxic substances are burned, but this also has its drawbacks. When burning in a normal flame, the concentration of poisons in the exhaust gases is tens of thousands of times higher than the maximum permissible. High-temperature afterburning of exhaust gases in a plasma electric furnace (a method used in the USA) provides relative safety.

12th student. Another approach to the destruction of chemical weapons is to first neutralize the toxic substances. The resulting non-toxic masses can be burned, or they can be converted into solid insoluble blocks, so that these blocks can then be buried in special burial grounds or used in road construction.

Teacher. Currently, the concept of destroying toxic substances directly in ammunition is widely discussed, and the processing of non-toxic reaction masses into chemical products for commercial use is proposed. In the meantime, the government does not have money not only for the destruction of chemical weapons, but also for scientific research in this area. And we are entering the 21st century with the heavy legacy of the past. I would like to hope that a sober mind will prevail over greed. Let the power of this wonderful science - chemistry - be directed not at the development of new toxic substances, but at solving global human problems.
We will end our conference with a symbolic fireworks in honor of those who did everything possible and impossible to bring victory over fascism closer.
The song “Victory Day” is playing. On the laboratory table, students demonstrate a fireworks display.

Experience. Mix 3 spoons of KMnO 4, coal powder, iron powder on a sheet of paper. Pour the resulting mixture into an iron crucible and heat it in the flame of an alcohol lamp. The reaction begins, the mixture is ejected from the crucible in the form of many sparks.

LITERATURE

Chemistry (Pervoe September Publishing House), 2001, No. 7; 1999, no. 16;
Fremantle M. Chemistry in action. T. 2. M.: Mir, 1998, p. 258;
Chemistry at school, 1985, No. 1, 2; 1984, no. 6; 1995, no. 4; 1996, no. 1.

1. Introduction.

2. Toxic substances.

3. Inorganic substances in the service of the military.

4. The contribution of Soviet chemists to the victory of the Second World War.

5. Conclusion.

6. Literature.

Introduction.

We live in a world of different substances. In principle, a person does not need much to live: oxygen (air), water, food, basic clothing, housing. However, a person, mastering the world around him, gaining more and more knowledge about it, constantly changes his life.

In the second half of the 19th century, chemical science reached a level of development that made it possible to create new substances that had never coexisted in nature before. However, while creating new substances that should serve for good, scientists also created substances that became a threat to humanity.

I thought about this when I was studying the history of World War I and learned that in 1915. The Germans used gas attacks with toxic substances to win on the French front. What could other countries do to preserve the lives and health of soldiers?

First of all, to create a gas mask, which was successfully accomplished by N.D. Zelinsky. He said: “I invented it not to attack, but to protect young lives from suffering and death.” Well, then, like a chain reaction, new substances began to be created - the beginning of the era of chemical weapons.

How do you feel about this?

On the one hand, substances “stand” for the protection of countries. We can no longer imagine our life without many chemicals, because they were created for the benefit of civilization (plastics, rubber, etc.). On the other hand, some substances can be used for destruction; they bring “death.”

The purpose of my essay: to expand and deepen knowledge about the use of chemicals.

Objectives: 1) Consider how chemicals are used in warfare.

2) Get acquainted with the contribution of scientists to the victory of the Second World War.

Organic matter

In 1920 – 1930 there was a threat of the outbreak of the Second World War. The world's major powers were feverishly arming themselves, with Germany and the USSR making the greatest efforts for this. German scientists have created a new generation of toxic substances. However, Hitler did not dare to start a chemical war, probably realizing that its consequences for the relatively small Germany and vast Russia would be incommensurable.

After World War II, the chemical arms race continued at a higher level. Currently, developed countries do not produce chemical weapons, but the planet has accumulated huge reserves of deadly toxic substances, which pose a serious danger to nature and society

Mustard gas, lewisite, sarin, soman, V-gases, hydrocyanic acid, phosgene, and another product, which is usually depicted in the “VX” font, were adopted and stored in warehouses. Let's take a closer look at them.

a) Sarin is a colorless or yellow liquid with almost no odor, which makes it difficult to detect by external signs. It belongs to the class of nerve agents. Sarin is intended, first of all, to contaminate the air with vapors and fog, that is, as an unstable agent. In some cases, however, it can be used in droplet-liquid form to infect the area and military equipment located on it; in this case, the persistence of sarin can be: in summer - several hours, in winter - several days.

Sarin causes damage through the respiratory system, skin, and gastrointestinal tract; acts through the skin in droplet-liquid and vapor states, without causing local damage. The degree of damage caused by sarin depends on its concentration in the air and the time spent in the contaminated atmosphere.

When exposed to sarin, the victim experiences drooling, profuse sweating, vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, severe convulsions, paralysis and, as a result of severe poisoning, death.

Sarin formula:

b) Soman is a colorless and almost odorless liquid. Belongs to the class of nerve agents. In many properties it is very similar to sarin. The persistence of soman is slightly higher than that of sarin; its effect on the human body is approximately 10 times stronger.

Soman formula:

(CH3)3C – CH (CH3) -

c) V-gases are low-volatile liquids with a very high boiling point, so their resistance is many times greater than that of sarin. Like sarin and soman, they are classified as nerve agents. According to foreign press data, V-gases are 100 - 1000 times more toxic than other nerve agents. They are highly effective when acting through the skin, especially in a droplet-liquid state: contact with human skin of small drops of V-gases usually causes death.

d) Mustard gas is a dark brown oily liquid with a characteristic odor reminiscent of garlic or mustard. Belongs to the class of blister agents. Mustard gas slowly evaporates from contaminated areas; Its durability on the ground is: in summer - from 7 to 14 days, in winter - a month or more. Mustard gas has a multifaceted effect on the body: in drop-liquid and vapor states it affects the skin and eyes, in vapor form it affects the respiratory tract and lungs, and when ingested with food and water, it affects the digestive organs. The effect of mustard gas does not appear immediately, but after some time, called the period of latent action. When contacted with the skin, drops of mustard gas are quickly absorbed into it without causing pain. After 4 - 8 hours, the skin appears red and itchy. By the end of the first and beginning of the second day, small bubbles form, but then they merge into single large bubbles filled with an amber-yellow liquid, which becomes cloudy over time. The appearance of blisters is accompanied by malaise and fever. After 2-3 days, the blisters break through and reveal ulcers underneath that do not heal for a long time. If an infection gets into the ulcer, suppuration occurs and the healing time increases to 5 - 6 months. The organs of vision are affected by vapor mustard gas even in negligible concentrations in the air and exposure time is 10 minutes. The period of hidden action lasts from 2 to 6 hours; then signs of damage appear: a feeling of sand in the eyes, photophobia, lacrimation. The disease can last 10 - 15 days, after which recovery occurs. Damage to the digestive organs is caused by ingestion of food and water contaminated with mustard gas. In severe cases of poisoning, after a period of latent action (30–60 minutes), signs of damage appear: pain in the pit of the stomach, nausea, vomiting; then general weakness, headache, and weakening of reflexes set in; Discharge from the mouth and nose acquires a foul odor. Subsequently, the process progresses: paralysis is observed, severe weakness and exhaustion appear. If the course is unfavorable, death occurs between 3 and 12 days as a result of complete loss of strength and exhaustion.

In case of severe injuries, it is usually not possible to save a person, and if the skin is damaged, the victim loses his ability to work for a long time.

Mustard formula:

CI – CH2 - CH2

CI – CH2 - CH2

e) Hydrocyanic acid is a colorless liquid with a peculiar odor reminiscent of the smell of bitter almonds; in low concentrations the odor is difficult to distinguish. Hydrocyanic acid evaporates easily and acts only in a vapor state. Refers to general toxic agents. Characteristic signs of damage from hydrocyanic acid are: metallic taste in the mouth, throat irritation, dizziness, weakness, nausea. Then painful shortness of breath appears, the pulse slows down, the poisoned person loses consciousness, and sharp convulsions occur. Convulsions are observed for a relatively short time; they are replaced by complete relaxation of the muscles with loss of sensitivity, a drop in temperature, respiratory depression with subsequent cessation. Cardiac activity after stopping breathing continues for another 3 to 7 minutes.

Hydrocyanic acid formula:

f) Phosgene is a colorless, highly volatile liquid with the smell of rotten hay or rotten apples. It acts on the body in a vapor state. Belongs to the class of suffocating agents.

Phosgene has a latent action period of 4 - 6 hours; its duration depends on the concentration of phosgene in the air, the time spent in the contaminated atmosphere, the condition of the person, and the cooling of the body. When phosgene is inhaled, a person feels a sweetish, unpleasant taste in the mouth, followed by coughing, dizziness and general weakness. Upon leaving the contaminated air, the signs of poisoning quickly pass, and a period of so-called imaginary well-being begins. But after 4 - 6 hours, the affected person experiences a sharp deterioration in their condition: a bluish discoloration of the lips, cheeks, and nose quickly develops; general weakness, headache, rapid breathing, severe shortness of breath, a painful cough with the release of liquid, foamy, pinkish sputum indicate the development of pulmonary edema. The process of phosgene poisoning reaches its climax phase within 2 - 3 days. With a favorable course of the disease, the affected person’s health will gradually begin to improve, and in severe cases of damage, death occurs.

Phosgene formula:

e) Lysergic acid dimethylamide is a toxic substance with psychochemical action. When ingested, mild nausea and dilated pupils appear within 3 minutes, followed by hallucinations of hearing and vision that last for several hours.

Inorganic substances in military affairs.

The Germans first used chemical weapons on April 22, 1915. near Ypres: they launched a gas attack against French and British troops. Of the 6 thousand metal cylinders, 180 tons were produced. chlorine across a front width of 6 km. Then they used chlorine as an agent against the Russian army. As a result of the first gas attack alone, about 15 thousand soldiers were hit, of which 5 thousand died from suffocation. To protect against chlorine poisoning, they began to use bandages soaked in a solution of potash and baking soda, and then a gas mask in which sodium thiosulfate was used to absorb chlorine.

Later, more powerful toxic substances containing chlorine appeared: mustard gas, chloropicrin, cyanogen chloride, asphyxiating gas phosgene, etc.

The reaction equation for producing phosgene is:

CI2 + CO = COCI2.

Upon penetration into the human body, phosgene undergoes hydrolysis:

COCI2 + H2O = CO2 + 2HCI,

which leads to the formation of hydrochloric acid, which inflames the tissues of the respiratory organs and makes breathing difficult.

Phosgene is also used for peaceful purposes: in the production of dyes, in the fight against pests and diseases of agricultural crops.

Bleach(CaOCI2) is used for military purposes as an oxidizing agent during degassing, destroying chemical warfare agents, and for peaceful purposes - for bleaching cotton fabrics, paper, for chlorinating water, and disinfection. The use of this salt is based on the fact that when it reacts with carbon monoxide (IV), free hypochlorous acid is released, which decomposes:

2CaOCI2 + CO2 + H2O = CaCO3 + CaCI2 + 2HOCI;

Oxygen, at the moment of release, energetically oxidizes and destroys poisonous and other toxic substances, and has a bleaching and disinfecting effect.

Oxiliquit is an explosive mixture of any flammable porous mass with liquid oxygen. They were used during the First World War instead of dynamite.

The main condition for choosing a combustible material for oxyliquit is its sufficient friability, which facilitates better impregnation with liquid oxygen. If the flammable material is poorly impregnated, then after the explosion some of it will remain unburnt. An oxyliquit cartridge is a long pouch filled with flammable material into which an electric fuse is inserted. Sawdust, coal, and peat are used as combustible materials for oxyliquits. The cartridge is charged immediately before inserting into the hole, immersing it in liquid oxygen. Cartridges were sometimes prepared in this way during the Great Patriotic War, although trinitrotoluene was mainly used for this purpose. Currently, oxyliquits are used in the mining industry for blasting.

Looking at Properties sulfuric acid, it is important about its use in the production of explosives (TNT, HMX, picric acid, trinitroglycerin) as a water-removing agent in the composition of a nitrating mixture (HNO3 and H2 SO4).

Ammonia solution(40%) is used for degassing equipment, vehicles, clothing, etc. in conditions of the use of chemical weapons (sarin, soman, tabun).

Based nitric acid A number of strong explosives are obtained: trinitroglycerin and dynamite, nitrocellulose (pyroxylin), trinitrophenol (picric acid), trinitrotoluene, etc.

Ammonium chloride NH4CI is used to fill smoke bombs: when the incendiary mixture is ignited, ammonium chloride decomposes, forming thick smoke:

NH4CI = NH3 + HCI.

Such checkers were widely used during the Great Patriotic War.

Ammonium nitrate is used for the production of explosives - ammonites, which also contain other explosive nitro compounds, as well as flammable additives. For example, ammonal contains trinitrotoluene and powdered aluminum. The main reaction that occurs during its explosion:

3NH4NO3 + 2AI = 3N2 + 6H2O + AI2O3 + Q.

The high heat of combustion of aluminum increases the explosion energy. Aluminum nitrate mixed with trinitrotoluene (tol) produces the explosive ammotol. Most explosive mixtures contain an oxidizer (metal or ammonium nitrates, etc.) and combustibles (diesel fuel, aluminum, wood flour, etc.).

Barium, strontium and lead nitrates used in pyrotechnics.

Considering Application nitrates, you can talk about the history of the production and use of black, or smoky, gunpowder - an explosive mixture of potassium nitrate with sulfur and coal (75% KNO3, 10% S, 15% C). The combustion reaction of black powder is expressed by the equation:

2KNO3 + 3C + S = N2 + 3CO2 + K2S + Q.

The two products of the reaction are gases, and potassium sulfide is a solid that produces smoke after the explosion. The source of oxygen during the combustion of gunpowder is potassium nitrate. If a vessel, for example a tube sealed at one end, is closed by a moving body - a core, then it is ejected under the pressure of powder gases. This shows the propellant effect of gunpowder. And if the walls of the vessel in which the gunpowder is located are not strong enough, then the vessel breaks under the action of the powder gases into small fragments that fly around with enormous kinetic energy. This is the blasting action of gunpowder. The resulting potassium sulfide - carbon deposits - destroys the barrel of the weapon, therefore, after a shot, a special solution containing ammonium carbonate is used to clean the weapon.

The dominance of black powder in military affairs continued for six centuries. Over such a long period of time, its composition has remained virtually unchanged, only the production method has changed. Only in the middle of the last century, new explosives with greater destructive power began to be used instead of black powder. They quickly replaced black powder from military equipment. Now it is used as an explosive in mining, in pyrotechnics (rockets, fireworks), and also as hunting gunpowder.

Phosphorus(white) is widely used in military affairs as an incendiary substance used to equip aircraft bombs, mines, and shells. Phosphorus is highly flammable and, when burned, releases a large amount of heat (the combustion temperature of white phosphorus reaches 1000 - 1200°C). When burned, phosphorus melts, spreads, and when it comes into contact with the skin, it causes long-lasting burns and ulcers.

When phosphorus burns in air, phosphorus anhydride is obtained, the vapors of which attract moisture from the air and form a veil of white fog consisting of tiny droplets of a solution of metaphosphoric acid. Its use as a smoke-forming substance is based on this property.

Based on ortho - and metaphosphoric acid The most toxic organophosphorus toxic substances (sarin, soman, VX gases) with nerve-paralytic action have been created. A gas mask serves as protection against their harmful effects.

Graphite Due to its softness, it is widely used to produce lubricants used at high and low temperatures. The extreme heat resistance and chemical inertness of graphite make it possible to use it in nuclear reactors on nuclear submarines in the form of bushings, rings, as a thermal neutron moderator, and as a structural material in rocket technology.

I soot(carbon black) is used as a rubber filler used to equip armored vehicles, aircraft, automobiles, artillery and other military equipment.

Activated carbon– a good adsorbent of gases, so it is used as an absorber of toxic substances in filter gas masks. During the First World War there were large human losses, one of the main reasons was the lack of reliable personal protective equipment against toxic substances. N.D. Zelinsky proposed a simple gas mask in the form of a bandage with coal. Later, together with engineer E.L. Kumant, he improved simple gas masks. They proposed insulating rubber gas masks, thanks to which the lives of millions of soldiers were saved.

Carbon monoxide (II) (carbon monoxide) belongs to the group of generally toxic chemical weapons: it combines with hemoglobin in the blood, forming carboxyhemoglobin. As a result, hemoglobin loses its ability to bind and carry oxygen, oxygen starvation occurs and the person dies from suffocation.

In a combat situation, when you are in the burning zone of flamethrower-incendiary means, in tents and other rooms with stove heating, or when shooting in enclosed spaces, carbon monoxide poisoning can occur. And since carbon monoxide (II) has high diffusion properties, conventional filter gas masks are not able to clean air contaminated with this gas. Scientists have created an oxygen gas mask, in special cartridges of which mixed oxidizers are placed: 50% manganese (IV) oxide, 30% copper (II) oxide, 15% chromium (VI) oxide and 5% silver oxide. Carbon monoxide (II) in the air is oxidized in the presence of these substances, for example:

CO + MnO2 = MnO + CO2.

A person affected by carbon monoxide needs fresh air, heart medications, sweet tea, and in severe cases, oxygen breathing and artificial respiration.

Carbon monoxide (IV)(carbon dioxide) 1.5 times heavier than air, does not support combustion processes, is used to extinguish fires. A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is filled with a solution of sodium bicarbonate, and a glass ampoule contains sulfuric or hydrochloric acid. When the fire extinguisher is brought into operation, the following reaction begins to occur:

2NaHCO3 + H2SO4 = Na2SO4 + 2H2O + 2CO2.

The released carbon dioxide envelops the fire in a dense layer, stopping the access of air oxygen to the burning object. During the Great Patriotic War, such fire extinguishers were used to protect residential buildings in cities and industrial facilities.

Carbon (IV) monoxide in liquid form is a good fire extinguishing agent for jet engines found on modern military aircraft.

Silicon, being a semiconductor, is widely used in modern military electronics. It is used in the manufacture of solar panels, transistors, diodes, particle detectors in radiation monitoring and radiation reconnaissance instruments.

Liquid glass(saturated solutions of Na2SiO3 and K2SiO3) – a good fire-retardant impregnation for fabrics, wood, and paper.

The silicate industry produces various types of optical glasses used in military devices (binoculars, periscopes, rangefinders); cement for the construction of naval bases, mine launchers, protective structures.

In the form of glass fiber, glass is used for production. fiberglass, used in the production of missiles, submarines, and instruments.

When studying metals, we will consider their use in military affairs

Due to their strength, hardness, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and the ability to be machined, metals find wide application in military affairs: in aircraft and rocket manufacturing, in the manufacture of small arms and armored vehicles, submarines and naval ships, shells, bombs, radio equipment, etc. .d.

Aluminum It has high corrosion resistance to water, but has low strength. In aircraft and rocket production, aluminum alloys with other metals are used: copper, manganese, zinc, magnesium, iron. When properly heat treated, these alloys offer strength comparable to that of medium alloy steel.

Thus, the once most powerful rocket in the United States, the Saturn 5, with which the Apollo spacecraft were launched, is made of an aluminum alloy (aluminum, copper, manganese). The hulls of the Titan-2 intercontinental ballistic missiles are made from aluminum alloy. The propeller blades of airplanes and helicopters are made from an alloy of aluminum with magnesium and silicon. This alloy can operate under vibration loads and has very high corrosion resistance.

Thermite (mixtureFe3 O4 cpowderA.I.) used to make incendiary bombs and shells. When this mixture is ignited, a violent reaction occurs, releasing a large amount of heat:

8AI + 3Fe3O4 = 4AI2O3 + 9Fe + Q.

The temperature in the reaction zone reaches 3000°C. At such a high temperature, tank armor melts. Thermite shells and bombs have great destructive power.

Sodium as a coolant it is used to remove heat from valves in aircraft engines, as a coolant in nuclear reactors (in an alloy with potassium).

Sodium peroxide Na2O2 is used as an oxygen regenerator on military submarines. Solid sodium peroxide filling the regeneration system interacts with carbon dioxide:

2Na2O2 + 2CO2 = 2Na2CO3 + O2.

This reaction underlies modern insulating gas masks (IG), which are used in conditions of lack of oxygen in the air and the use of chemical warfare agents. Insulating gas masks are used by the crews of modern naval ships and submarines; it is these gas masks that ensure the crew escapes from a flooded tank.

Sodium hydroxide used to prepare electrolyte for alkaline batteries, which are used to equip modern military radio stations.

Lithium used in the manufacture of tracer bullets and projectiles. Lithium salts give them a bright blue-green trace. Lithium is also used in nuclear and thermonuclear technology.

Lithium hydride served American pilots during World War II as a portable source of hydrogen. In case of accidents over the sea under the influence of water, lithium hydride tablets instantly decomposed, filling life-saving equipment with hydrogen - inflatable boats, rafts, vests, signal balloons-antennas:

LiH + H2O = LiOH + H2.

Magnesium used in military equipment in the manufacture of lighting and signal flares, tracer bullets, shells and incendiary bombs. When ignited, magnesium produces a very bright, dazzling white flame, due to which it is possible to illuminate a significant part of the area at night.

Lightweight and durable magnesium alloys with copper, aluminum, titanium, silicon, are widely used in rocket, machine, and aircraft construction. They are used to prepare landing gear and landing gear for military aircraft, and individual parts for missile bodies.

Iron and alloys based on it (cast iron and steel) widely used for military purposes. When creating modern weapons systems, various grades of alloy steels are used.

Molybdenum gives steel high hardness, strength and toughness. The following fact is known: the armor of British tanks participating in the battles of the First World War was made of but brittle manganese steel. German artillery shells freely pierced a massive shell made of such steel 7.5 cm thick. But as soon as only 1.5-2% molybdenum was added to the steel, the tanks became invulnerable with an armor plate thickness of 2.5 cm. Molybdenum steel is used to make tank armor , ship hulls, gun barrels, guns, aircraft parts.

Cobalt used in the creation of heat-resistant steels, which are used in the manufacture of parts for aircraft engines and rockets.

Chrome gives steel hardness and wear resistance. Chromium is used to alloy spring and spring steels used in automobiles, armored vehicles, space rockets and other types of military equipment.

The contribution of scientific chemists to the victory in the Second World War.

The merits of scientists in the pre-war and present times are great; I will dwell on the contribution of scientists to the victory of the Second World War. Because the work of scientists not only helped the victory, but also laid the foundation for peaceful existence in the post-war period.

Scientists and chemists took an active part in ensuring victory over Nazi Germany. They developed new methods for producing explosives, rocket fuel, high-octane gasoline, rubbers, armor steel, light alloys for aviation, and medicines.

By the end of the war, the volume of chemical production approached the pre-war level: in 1945 it amounted to 92% of the 1940 levels.

Academician Alexander Erminingeldovich Arbuzov- the founder of one of the newest areas of science - the chemistry of organophosphorus compounds. His activities were inextricably linked with the famous Kazan school of chemists. Arbuzov's research was entirely devoted to the needs of defense and medicine. So, in March 1943, optical physicist S.I. Vavilov wrote to Arbuzov: “I am writing to you with a big request - to produce 15 g of 3,6-diaminophtholimide in your laboratory. It turned out that this drug received from you has valuable properties in terms of fluorescence and adsorption, and now we need it for the manufacture of a new defense optical device.” There was a drug, it was used in the manufacture of optics for tanks. This was of great importance for detecting the enemy at long distances. Subsequently, A.E. Arbuzov carried out other orders from the Optical Institute for the production of various reagents.

An entire era in the history of Russian chemistry is associated with the name of Academician Nikolai Dmitrievich Zelinsky. Back in the First World War, he created a gas mask. In the period 1941-1945. N.D. Zelinsky headed a scientific school whose research was aimed at developing methods for producing high-octane fuel for aviation and monomers for synthetic rubber.

The contribution of Academician Nikolai Nikolaevich Semenov to ensuring victory was determined by the theory of branched chain reactions he developed, which made it possible to control chemical processes: speed up reactions up to the formation of an explosive avalanche, slow down and even stop them at any intermediate station. In the early 40s. N.N. Semenov and his collaborators investigated the processes of explosion, combustion, and detonation. The results of these studies were used in one form or another during the war in the production of cartridges, artillery shells, explosives, and incendiary mixtures for flamethrowers. The results of research on the reflection and collision of shock waves during explosions were used already in the first period of the war in the creation of cumulative shells, grenades and mines to combat enemy tanks.

Academician Alexander Evgenievich Fersman I didn’t say that his life was a love story for stone. A pioneer and tireless researcher of apatites on the Kola Peninsula, radium ores in Fergana, sulfur in the Karakum Desert, tungsten deposits in Transbaikalia, one of the creators of the rare elements industry, from the first days of the war he was actively involved in the process of transferring science and industry onto a military footing. He performed special work on military engineering geology, military geography, and on the production of strategic raw materials and camouflage paints. In 1941, at an anti-fascist meeting of scientists, he said: “The war required an enormous amount of basic types of strategic raw materials. A whole series of new metals were required for aviation, for armor-piercing steel, magnesium was required, strontium for flares and torches, more iodine was required... And we have the responsibility for providing strategic raw materials, we must help with our knowledge to create better tanks, airplanes, in order to quickly liberate all nations from the invasion of Hitler’s gang.”

The largest chemical technologist Semyon Isaakovich Volfkovich studied phosphorus compounds, was director of the Research Institute of Fertilizers and Insecticides. The employees of this institute created phosphorus-sulfur alloys for bottles that served as anti-tank “bombs”, produced chemical heating pads for soldiers and patrolmen, and developed anti-frostbite, burns, and other medications necessary for the sanitary service.

Professor of the Military Academy of Chemical Defense Ivan Ludvigovich Knunyants developed reliable personal protective equipment for people against toxic substances. For these studies in 1941 he was awarded the USSR State Prize.

Even before the start of the Great Patriotic War, professor at the Military Academy of Chemical Defense Mikhail Mikhailovich Dubinin conducted research on the sorption of gases, vapors and dissolved substances by solid porous bodies. M.M. Dubinin is a dedicated authority on all major issues related to chemical protection of the respiratory system.

From the very beginning of the war, scientists were given the task of developing and organizing the production of drugs to combat infectious diseases, primarily typhus, which is carried by lice. Under the direction of Nikolai Nikolaevich Melnikov The production of dust, as well as various antiseptics for wooden aircraft, was organized.

Academician Alexander Naumovich Frumkin– one of the founders of the modern doctrine of electrochemical processes, founder of the school of electrochemists. He studied the issues of protecting metals from corrosion, developed a physical and chemical method for fastening soils for airfields, and a recipe for fire-retardant impregnation of wood. Together with his colleagues, he developed electrochemical fuses. He said: “There is no doubt that chemistry is one of the essential factors on which the success of modern warfare depends. The production of explosives, high-quality steels, light metals, fuels - all these are various uses of chemistry, not to mention special forms of chemical weapons. In modern warfare, German chemistry has given the world one “new thing” so far - the massive use of stimulants and narcotic substances that are given to German soldiers before sending them to certain death. Soviet chemists call on scientists all over the world to use their knowledge to fight fascism.”

Academician Sergey Semenovich Nametkin, one of the founders of petrochemistry, successfully worked in the field of synthesis of new organometallic compounds, poisonous and explosive substances. During the war he worked on chemical defense issues. , development of production of motor fuels and oils.

Research Valentin Alekseevich Kargin covered a wide range of issues in physical chemistry, electrochemistry and physical chemistry of macromolecular compounds. During the war, V.A. Kargin developed special materials for the manufacture of clothing that protects against the effects of toxic substances, the principle and technology of a new method of processing protective fabrics, chemical compositions that make felted shoes waterproof, and special types of rubber for combat vehicles of our army.

Professor, Head of the Military Academy of Chemical Defense and Head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry Yuri Arkadyevich Klyachko organized a battalion from the academy and was the head of the combat sector on the closest approaches to Moscow. Under his leadership, work was launched to create new means of chemical defense, including research into fumes, antidotes, and flamethrowers.

On June 17, 1925, 37 states signed the Geneva Protocol, an international agreement prohibiting the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other similar gases in war. By 1978, almost all countries had signed the document.

Conclusion.

Chemical weapons, of course, need to be destroyed as quickly as possible; they are a deadly weapon against humanity. People also remember how the Nazis killed hundreds of thousands of people in gas chambers in concentration camps, and how American troops tested chemical weapons during the Vietnam War.

The use of chemical weapons today is prohibited by international agreement. In the first half of the 20th century. toxic substances were either drowned in the sea or buried in the ground. There is no need to explain what this entails. Nowadays toxic substances are burned, but this method also has its drawbacks. When burning in a conventional flame, their concentration in the exhaust gases exceeds the maximum permissible by tens of thousands of times. High-temperature afterburning of exhaust gases in a plasma electric furnace (a method adopted in the USA) provides relative safety.

Another approach to the destruction of chemical weapons is to first neutralize the toxic substances. The resulting non-toxic masses can be burned or processed into solid insoluble blocks, which are then buried in special burial grounds or used in road construction.

Currently, the concept of destroying toxic substances directly in ammunition is widely discussed, and the processing of non-toxic reaction masses into chemical products for commercial use is proposed. But the destruction of chemical weapons and scientific research in this area require large investments.

I would like to hope that the problems will be solved and the power of chemical science will be directed not at the development of new toxic substances, but at solving global problems of humanity.

Used Books:

Kushnarev A.A. chemical weapons: yesterday, today, tomorrow //

Chemistry at school - 1996 - No. 1;

Chemistry at school – 4’2005

Chemistry at school – 7’2005

Chemistry at school – 9’2005;

Chemistry at school – 8’2006

Chemistry at school – 11’2006.