Zinc oxide decorated diatomite towards high-efficiency decontaminating aqueous ammonia and hydrochloric acid in the confined space

Aqueous ammonia (NH 3 ·H 2 O) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) are typical industrial ingredients, but their leakage in a confined space poses severe risks such as poisoning, explosions, and environmental pollution . In this study, a synergistic decontamination agent ZnO-Dia is designed and fabricated based on diatomite to decontaminate NH 3 ·H 2 O and HCl in a confined space. ZnO-Dia exhibits high efficiency in decontaminating NH 3 ·H 2 O and HCl compared to raw diatomite, resulting in a decontamination efficiency of 69.8 % on NH 3 ·H 2 O and an efficiency of 92.8 % on HCl. Notably, even at reduced dosages, ZnO-Dia remains satisfactory decontamination performance, offering potential cost savings for industrial applications. The enhanced decontamination efficiency of ZnO-Dia is attributed to its enhanced surface area and surface acidic/basic sites. In general, this work sheds new light on the design and fabrication of synergistic decontamination agents, crucial for effective emergency response decontamination technology required for the industry.