Working in conjunction with Vista Technologies, Inc., the Mobile District Army Corps of Engineers, and Redstone Arsenal, IES successfully processed 1,747 pounds of highly toxic pentaborane. IES designed, constructed, and operated the plant which converted the highly toxic and pyrophoric pentaborane into boric acid and borax by a process known as enhanced hydrolysis using only steam. Employing a modification of IES's patented hydrolysis system, the plant extracted pentaborane vapor directly from target cylinders and combined it with high pressure steam to achieve a nearly instantaneous chemical conversion. Downstream water scrubbers removed very fine particulates that were generated during conversion leaving only hydrogen gas to exit the system safely through a remote vent stack. Process efficiency and ambient air quality was monitored at the part-per-billion level using a high resolution infrared detector configured to allow multi-point sampling. The entire system was fully remote-controlled and provided a safe, low-cost, production level option for on site disposal of pentaborane. The project director for Redstone Arsenal's environmental directorate received an EPA Environmental Merit award as a result of the project's use of innovative technology and its overwhelming success. The processing system was subsequently transported to Houston, Texas where it was used to process thirteen additional cylinders of pentaborane for a commercial concern.

IES completed two operations in the United Kingdom involving pentaborane that was used in medical and fuel research during the 1960's and 1970's. Two universities, involved in past borane research discovered stocks of pentaborane that had come originally from the United States Navy during the early 1960's. These cylinders accounted for four of eight cylinders that were distributed in the UK by the Navy for research purposes. Location of the other cylinders remains a mystery. IES employed a new chemical neutralization process that allowed nearly eight pounds of product to be safely neutralized in a rapid-deployment situation.

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