Yellow Cross (Gelbkreuz) is a
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
chemical warfare agent usually based on
mustard gas
Mustard gas or sulfur mustard are names commonly used for the organosulfur compound, organosulfur chemical compound bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide, which has the chemical structure S(CH2CH2Cl)2, as well as other Chemical species, species. In the wi ...
(sulfur mustard, HS, Yperite, Lost).
The original Gelbkreuz was a composition of 80–90% of sulfur mustard and 10–20% of
tetrachloromethane
Carbon tetrachloride, also known by many other names (such as carbon tet for short and tetrachloromethane, also IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry, recognised by the IUPAC), is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CCl4. It is a n ...
or
chlorobenzene as a
solvent
A solvent (from the Latin language, Latin ''wikt:solvo#Latin, solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a Solution (chemistry), solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas ...
which lowered its viscosity and acted as an
antifreeze
An antifreeze is an additive which lowers the freezing point of a water-based liquid. An antifreeze mixture is used to achieve freezing-point depression for cold environments. Common antifreezes also increase the boiling point of the liquid, allow ...
, or, alternatively, 80% sulfur mustard, 10%
bis(chloromethyl) ether, and 10% tetrachloromethane. A later formulation, Gelbkreuz 1, was a mixture of 40%
ethyldichloroarsine, 40%
ethyldibromoarsine, and 20% of bis(chloromethyl) ether. In some cases
nitrobenzene
Nitrobenzene is an aromatic nitro compound and the simplest of the nitrobenzenes, with the chemical formula C6H5 NO2. It is a water-insoluble pale yellow oil with an almond-like odor. It freezes to give greenish-yellow crystals. It is produced ...
was used to mask the material's characteristic odour. French "ypérite no.20" was a similar mixture of 80% sulfur mustard and 20% tetrachloromethane.
Yellow Cross is also a generic World War I German marking for artillery shells with chemical payload affecting the skin.
See also
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Green Cross (chemical warfare)
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Blue Cross (chemical warfare)
Blue Cross () is a German World War I chemical warfare agent consisting of diphenylchloroarsine (DA, Clark I), diphenylcyanoarsine (CDA, Clark II), ethyldichloroarsine (Dick), and/or methyldichloroarsine (Methyldick). Clark I and Clark II were th ...
*
White Cross (chemical warfare)
References
{{Chemical agents
Blister agents
World War I chemical weapons