DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL SORBENTS FOR RESPIRATORS

THIS RESEARCH IS AIMED AT SOLVING TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS IN INDUSTRIAL RESPIRATOR DESIGN: (1) THE DECREASE IN RESPIRATOR CHEMICAL CARTRIDGE LIFETIME AT HIGH RELATIVE HUMIDITIES; AND (2) THE POOR EFFICIENCY OF THE CURRENT CARTRIDGES FOR ADSORBING VOLATILE, POLAR, ORGANIC TOXINS. IN THIS WORK, A FRACTION OF THE PORES IN ACTIVATED CARBON (SORBENT IN CURRENT INDUSTRIAL RESPIRATORS) WILL BE FILLED WITH A LOW VOLATILITY, NONTOXIC, POLAR, ORGANIC LIQUID (E.G., GLYCEROL). THE COMBINED ADSORPTION AND ABSORPTION IN THE MODIFIED CARBON WILL PROVIDE THE CAPABILITY OF SIMULTANEOUSLY REMOVING LOW-AND HIGH-BOILING-POINT TOXIC ORGANICS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF POLARITY FROM THE AIR IN AN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT. THE DOPANT WILL ALSO REDUCE THE TENDENCY FOR CAPILLARY CONDENSATION OF WATER AT HIGH RELATIVE HUMIDITIES. THE RESULT WOULD BE AN ALL-PURPOSE CHEMICAL CARTRIDGE, USEFUL FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF TOXIC GASES OVER A WIDE RANGE OF RELATIVE HUMIDITIES. THIS VERSATILE CARTRIDGE WOULD PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED PROTECTION FOR INDUSTRIAL WORKERS POTENTIALLY EXPOSED TO TOXIC GASES, THE COMPOSITION OF WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY KNOWN. THE MODIFIED ADSORBENT WOULD BE USEFUL IN INDUSTRIAL RESPIRATORS, MILITARY GAS MASKS, AND INDUSTRIAL ADSORBENTS.