A theoretical model for respirator cartridge service life for binary systems: application to acetone/styrene mixtures

A theoretical model, developed previously to assess respirator cartridge service life, was applied to various acetone/styrene binary assault systems. Experimental data, collected for several binary mixtures differing only with respect to the concentration of each of the two compounds, were interpreted in terms of the model. Styrene concentrations varied from 228 to 1578 ppm; the range of acetone concentrations was 92-985 ppm. The specific influence of the compound assault concentrations on respirator cartridge service life was carefully characterized, as break-through curves were generated for both acetone and styrene for each of several different binary systems. Specifically, experimental data for each system were used to determine values of the following theoretical parameters: k'1, tau 1, k'2, tau 2, and Am. These parameters were employed with the theory to generate complete theoretical breakthrough curves and to determine the time-dependence of the weight of each compound adsorbed by the respirator cartridge carbon bed. An interesting phenomenon observed for the acetone/styrene systems was the displacement (from the carbon) of previously adsorbed acetone molecules by styrene molecules. Acetone breakthrough was observed first in each of the systems studied. Following the onset of this breakthrough, the acetone breakthrough concentration was enhanced by the displacement of acetone from the carbon bed by the adsorption of styrene. The theoretical model accurately predicts both this enhancement and the associated breakthrough characteristics of styrene. In addition, the theory is capable of predicting the ratio of the number of displaced acetone molecules to the corresponding number of displacing styrene molecules. For these studies, this ratio ranged from 0.3 to 0.7. The service life of respirator cartridges exposed to acetone/styrene mixtures depends on the assault concentration of each compound and is significantly influenced (shortened) by the displacement phenomenon.