Special Canisters
Navy. The early Navy canister is a drum much like the German canister. The container is a slightly tapered metal cylinder, 9 cm. in diameter at the bottom. The most satisfactory filling for this drum consists of two layers, 98 cc. in each, of a standard mixture of charcoal and soda-lime, separated by cotton wadding pad. The filling is 6-20 mesh, instead of 8-14 mesh. A later type is shown in [Figure 41].
Carbon Monoxide. This canister is discussed in [Chapter XI].
Ammonia. Ammonia respirators were needed by the Navy and also by the workmen in refrigeration plants. Early protection was obtained by the use of pumice stone impregnated with sulfuric acid. This had many disadvantages, such as the amount of heat evolved, the caustic fumes produced, high resistance and corrosion of the canister. To overcome these, the “Kupramite” canister was developed. The filling consists of pumice stone impregnated with copper sulfate. Pumice stone, 8 to 14 mesh, and technical copper sulfate are placed in an evaporating pan in the ratio of one part by weight CuSO₄·5H₂O to 1.5 parts pumice, and the whole is covered with sufficient water to dissolve the salt at boiling temperature. The mixture is then boiled down with constant stirring until crystallization takes place on the pumice and the crystals are nearly dry. The pumice thus treated is then removed from the dish, spread out and allowed to dry in the air. The fines are then screened out on a 14-mesh sieve. Care must be taken in the evaporating process that the absorbent is still slightly moist when taken from the pan.
Fig. 64.—Early Type Navy Mask.
Contains noseclip and mouthpiece.
In packing the standard Army canister with kupramite a layer of toweling is placed on top of the absorbent to filter out any fine particles which might be drawn up from the absorbent, and the whole is held in place by the usual heavy wire screen and spring. This method of packing is to be used with the present mouthpiece type of army mask. If the new Tissot type mask is used, a modification of the packing is desirable in order to eliminate the trouble due to moisture given off by the absorbent during service condensing on the eyepieces of the mask and thus impairing the vision of the wearer. To remedy this defect a 1-in. layer of kupramite at the top of the canister is replaced by activated charcoal or silica gel, preferably silica gel. This decreases the humidity of the effluent air sufficiently to prevent dimming of the eyepieces. If charcoal is used, a 2-8 cotton pad (Eastern Star Furrier Co., Pawtucket, R. I.) is substituted for the toweling in order to remove charcoal dust. The canister complete weighs about 1.7 lbs.
Fig. 65.—Ammonia Canister—“Kupramite.”
A canister containing 45 cu. in. of this material will protect a man breathing at rest for at least 5 hours against 2 per cent ammonia and for 2½ hours against 5 per cent ammonia. Its advantages are large capacity and activity, negligible heat of absorption, and cheapness.