Tabun Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Tabun is the name given to the first nerve agent by its inventor.The full name of Tabun is given either as
- ethyl dimethylamidocyanophosphate,
- ethyl N,N-dimethylphosphoramidocyanidate,
- ethyl dimethyl-phosphoramidocyanidate,
- dimethylaminoethoxy-cyanophosphine oxide,
- dimethylamidoethoxy-phosphoryl cyanide or
- dimethylphosphoramidocyanidic acid, dimethyl-, ethyl ester.
It is also known as GA, as the first of the G-series nerve agents along with GB (sarin), GD (soman) and GF (cyclosarin). It shares several common chemical properties with the other G-series agents—it is a volatile colourless to brown liquid (depending on purity), although less volatile than either GB or GD. Although odourless when pure, Tabun is commonly described as having a faint 'fruity' odour due to impurities. Exposure is treated using atropine, pralidoxime chloride, or diazepam. The LCt50 for Tabun is 150 mg-min/m³ in humans.
Tabun was discovered accidentally in 1936 by the German researcher Gerhard Schrader for Bayer at Elberfield, during his investigation into organophosphates for herbicides and pesticides. During World War II as part of the Grün 3 program, a plant for the manufacture of Tabun was established in Dyhernfurth (now Brzeg Dolny, Poland), producing the nerve agent under the codename Trilon-83. Run by Anorgana GmbH, the plant began production in 1942. With early manufacturing problems, only around 12,500 tonnes of material were manufactured before the plant was over-run by the advancing Soviet forces. The plant produced shells using a 95:5 or 80:20 mix of Tabun and chlorobenzene. The Soviet government had the plant dismantled and taken back to Russia.
Though Sarin, Tabun and Soman were incorporated into artillery shells, Germany ultimately decided not to use nerve agents against Allied targets. German intelligence was unaware that the Allies had not developed similar compounds, and they were concerned that the Allies' ability to reach German targets would prove devastating in a chemical war. The reason to why this was done is given in Joseph Borkin's book The Crime and Punishment of IG Farben:
- Speer, who was strongly opposed to the introduction of Tabun, flew Otto Ambros, I.G.'s authority on poison gas as well as synthetic rubber, to the meeting. Hitler asked Ambros, "What is the other side doing about poison gas?" Ambros explained that the enemy, because of its greater access to ethylene, probably had a greater capacity to produce mustard gas than Germany did. Hitler interrupted to explain that he was not referring to traditional poison gases: "I understand that the countries with petroleum are in a position to make more [mustard gas], but Germany has a special gas, Tabun. In this we have a monopoly in Germany." He specifically wanted to know whether the enemy had access to such a gas and what it was doing in this area. To Hitler's disappointment Ambros replied, "I have justified reasons to assume that Tabun, too, is known abroad. I know that Tabun was publicized as early as 1902, that Sarin was patented, and that these substances appeared in patents. (...) Ambros was informing Hitler of an extraordinary fact about one of Germany's most secret weapons. The essential nature of Tabun and Sarin had already been disclosed in the technical journals as far back as 1902, and I.G had patented both products in 1937 and 1938. Ambros then warned Hitler that if Germany used Tabun, it must face the possibility that the Allies could produce this gas in much larger quantities. Upon receiving this discouraging report, Hitler abruptly left the meeting. The nerve gases would not be used, for the time being at least, although they would continue to be produced and tested.
It is believed that Tabun was used during the Iran-Iraq War.
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