Technologies in Health - Dust Respirator & Airline Respirator

Introduction

Dust respirator: This is an air-purifying respirator. It is a half-mask respirator, which covers nose and mouth. Normally the mask is fitted with a pair of high efficiency filters to provide protection in an environment contaminated with fumes, mists, highly toxic particulates including radionuclides. Respirator can also be fitted with a pair of combination (impregnated charcoal + HEPA) filter cartridges to remove organic and iodine vapours in addition to particulates from breathing atmosphere.

Airline respirator: This is a continuous flow air-supplied respirator. It has a half-face mask to which respirable air at the rate of 120 l/min is continuously fed by means of an air-hose. Positive pressure inside the face-piece gives very little possibility for outside contaminated atmosphere to leak in. Airline respirators are mainly used in conjunction with plastic suits to provide air for breathing, the latter to prevent skin contamination in all the nuclear facilities.

Dust respirators and airline respirators developed and manufactured by BARC as an import substitutes meet the stringent requirements needed for use in highly toxic environment.

Applications:

Dust respirators: These respirators are mainly used in atmosphere where protection against fine toxic particles such as radioactive dusts, bacteria and some viruses is required.

Airline respirators: These respirators are mostly employed in conjunction with plastic suits to provide fresh air for breathing and to protect personnel against dusts, vapours and gases.

Limitations: Dust respirators should not be used in atmosphere, which are deficient in oxygen and airline respirators in atmosphere, which are immediately dangerous to life (IDLH).

Dust respirators and airline respirators can also be used in various other industries such as chemical, food processing, pharmaceutical and mechanical.

Specifications of main components:

Face-piece: It is a half-face mask to cover nose and mouth and has a soft internally rolled periphery, which assures comfortable and airtight fit on persons of widely varying facial contours and sizes.

Materials: Natural rubber (shall not contain dermatitic substances)

Exhalation and Inhalation Valves: These are one-way valves having very low resistances. The resistance of Exhalation valves and inhalation valves is less than 20 mm and 30 mm of WG respectively at 85 lpm of airflow.

Material: Natural rubber

Corrugated Rubber Hose: It is a soft and flexible rubber hose, which can withstand a test underwater at an air pressure of 1.7 kPa and is free of leakage.

Material: Natural rubber

Chemical cartridge: It is incorporated to trap traces of moisture, oil mist and odour in the breathing air.

Material: Activated charcoal packed in polypropylene containers.

Filter cartridges: These are made of absolute filter having removal efficiency- 99.97% against 0.3 u DOP particles and pressure drop not more than 33 mm of WG at 42.5 lpm.

Material: Fiberglass

Headbands/Headharness: These are cradle straps made of heat resistant elastic tape and have convenient side adjustment and provide comfortable secure fit without slipping. Easily removed for cleaning.

Materials: Good quality elastic tape, Buckles, Eyelets, Buttons, D-rings, etc.

Testing Facility:

The firm should have a portable compressor and a test unit (technology of which will be provided by BARC) to test the leakage in respirators and pressure drop of filter cartridges, exhalation valves and other components. The firm can also test the respirators as per BIS and can obtain ISI Mark.

Infrastructural Facilities:

The firm should have a small workshop with facilities like punching machine, hot press etc. The moulds required for face-piece (nose-cup), corrugated rubber hose, exhalation valve, cartridge holder etc. either can be got made or can be fabricated in the workshop as per drawings.

Manpower:

For production of 2000 dust respirators and 1000 airline respirators per annum, the man- power requirements are as follows:

(i) Six skilled persons for assembly and testing and
(ii) A supervisor for procurement, inspection of components & quality control.

Contact for more information

Head,
Technology Transfer & Collaboration Division,
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre,
Trombay, Mumbai - 400 085
Tel : 091-022-25505337/25593897
Fax : 091-022-25505151
E-mail : headttcd@barc.gov.in

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