Molecular Products Sets the Standard in Submarine Safety
2 March - 16 April 2009
The submarine community is acutely aware of the dangers relating to life-critical confined spaces. Oxygen provision and carbon dioxide removal is fundamental in any confined space designed to sustain human life, examples include submarine interiors, mine refuges and nuclear shelters. A unique balance in the level of oxygen and CO2 is required for three primary reasons; to reduce the enhanced flammability of the atmosphere, to protect human life against the exposure of excessive levels of CO2 and equally the protection against the deprivation of oxygen in a confined space. Therefore a reliable, effective solution is crucial to ensure a breathable and safe atmosphere is sustained.
The solution for oxygen generation chosen by Molecular Products for the last 16 years is the use of sodium chlorate technology. It has stood the test of time for several reasons and seems set to remain so for the foreseeable future. Chlorate technology offers a high density oxygen solution compared to other chemical methods of generation. When risk assessed against oxygen bottles it is perceived as offering a lower total overall risk and being more easily deployed during emergencies or routine use. Compared to other chemical technologies it can be relatively simply controlled with regards to heat generation, purity of oxygen generated and production rate.
It is a robust technology being able to be stored in a wide range of conditions and is relatively insensitive to rough handling, certainly more so than liquified bottled gases. It is also scalable, there being no intrinsic limits upon the volume of oxygen generated with Molecular Products Ltd designing products down to 90 liters and up to 3500 liters. The quality of oxygen produced is higher than 99.9 % purity medical grade.
Likewise, Molecular Products Ltd, whilst investigating other technologies as they arise and always being alive to their putative advantages has continued to invest in soda lime technology for carbon dioxide removal. We have not been unaware of the debates centering on performance of other materials at low temperatures and pressures, passive versus active systems and absorption density in terms of liters of CO2 capacity per kg or m3 of material.
It is our experience that with good operational planning, good system/absorber design and a consideration of actual versus theoretical operational scenarios high quality soda lime products as manufactured by all leading suppliers - including Molecular Products Ltd - still offer the best balance between performance, environmental safety, ease of use and cost.
Molecular Products Ltd continues to investigate performance improvements to move the actual absorption performance closer to the theoretical capacity of the material by refinements in the formulation and physical characteristics of the material. It is not unknown to see variations in the performance of commercially available materials of up to 30% and therefore the assessment of the supplier is crucial when deciding upon the material of choice for these most demanding of applications.
Further developments in the use of soda lime are continuing with great efforts being made to provide reliable indications of degree of exhaustion and capacity remaining as well as improving the handling and ease of use characteristics of the material.
In summary here at Molecular products we see both of the existing technologies continuing to be used for many years into the future and with that in mind we believe we are in an excellent position to continue the process of development that has made us a pre-eminent supplier of these life critical products which have kept enclosed spaces safe for two decades.