Investigation the performance of KO2/fiberglass nanocomposite in O2 supply and CO2 removal in closed human respiratory environments

Abstract

Potassium superoxide-fiberglass nanocomposite is as chemical oxygen sources and carbon dioxide removal that can be used in human air revitalization systems. The potassium superoxide (KO2) nanoparticles as a part of nanocomposite was synthesized by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) method and coated on the fiberglass support as the second part of the nanocomposite. To investigate morphology of synthesized nanocomposite (KO2-fiberglass), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was employed. The results showed that KO2-fiberglass nanocomposite obtained by EHD has uniform structure in nanometer dimension. To simulate oxygen generation and carbon dioxide removal of nanocomposite, a human like lung simulated (HLLS) set up was designed and made. Experimental studies in the HLLS set up was performed under different humidity and effect of humidity was investigated to the changes of oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration. Consequently, studying of data showed that KO2-fiberglass nanocomposite has suitable performance as air revitalization because increases oxygen amounts up to 29.4 percentage. Also, it decreases carbon dioxide amount to the half, twice faster than of commercial KO2 samples (in 60min). Moreover, higher amount of humidity (85%), as catalyst, causes increasing rate of CO2 removal and O2 generation

Keywords

• respiratory air revitalization
• potassium superoxide/fiberglass nanocomposite
• oxygen generation
• carbon dioxide removal