Carbon suits
09-30-2003, 10:34 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Homer LA USA
Posts: 97
Carbon suits
I posted this on another site. Thought everyone would like to see this.
Carbon suit test!!!!
Here are the results of my test. I will try to give as much information as need to get the idea of how the test was done and the results.
Purpose:
To test the effectiveness of drying a carbon suit for reactivating.
Method:
I had purposfuly worn the suit the day before on a hunt for hogs. It was a very hot day and I did sweat quite a bit. The suit was then sealed in a ziplock style bag. The sample peices were taken today. I took two peices of a Scentlok leafy wear suit. Each peice measured 1inch X 1 inch. Each peice consisted of the carbon impregnated material only and none of the camoflage material. Each peice was placed in a small glass vial and was contaminated further with Ethyl benzene. This liquid was chosen because of its high boiling point. In other words it boils at 276 degrees F. One peice was placed in a drying oven ( in a chemistry lab) for 30 minutes at 200 degrees F. The other peices was left at room temperature and sealed in the glass vial for the same amount of time.
After the drying time both samples were washed in carbon disulfide. The carbon disulfide is used for a solvent or carrier and was not considered as one of the contaminents. both samples were washed for 45 minutes in a shaker. The samples were then filtered and run through a Gas chromatograph.
Results:
Results were run with a set of organic molecules being analyzed. Some of the compounds that were analyzed were from contamination while being worn and the ethyl benzene was a control. All numbers are given in parts per million. For every million parts their are that many parts of the contaminant.
Undried Sample:
Toluene 2.36 PPM
Ethyl benzene 9814 PPM
Xylene 8.83 PPM
Phenol 7.36 PPM
Dried sample
Toluene 0
Ehtyl Benzene 58.39 PPM
Xylene 0
Phenol 0
My take on this.
The Scentlok suits work and drying truely does reactivate them.
A few high points brought to light in this test.
1. A temperature of 200 F effectively removed almost all of the organic contaminants being analyzed. Now keep in mind that this oven was not agitating the material. It was just a constant temperature. A drying that is constantly moving the material should facilitate that removal of contaminants.
2. The oven temperature, which was lower than the boiling point of the ethyl benzene, removed 99.4 percent of the ethyl benzene. I chose this as a control becuase the boiling point was well above the oven temperature. Remember that these compounds do become vapor at less than the boiling point. That is what makes the drier an effective tool for reactivation.
3. The only down note on this is I have only a limited source for contamination and standards. If money and time were not an issue, then a more thorough test could be done with oils and aromatics that were present on the human body.
In light of all this. THE SUITS WORK AND CAN BE REACTIVATED!!! Be sure to question something you are not sure about. If we all listened to the guy claiming that 1700 degree was need for reactivation then we would all quite using the scent lok. ASK QUESTIONS. SEARCH FOR ANSWERS. MAKE YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS.
Carbon suit test!!!!
Here are the results of my test. I will try to give as much information as need to get the idea of how the test was done and the results.
Purpose:
To test the effectiveness of drying a carbon suit for reactivating.
Method:
I had purposfuly worn the suit the day before on a hunt for hogs. It was a very hot day and I did sweat quite a bit. The suit was then sealed in a ziplock style bag. The sample peices were taken today. I took two peices of a Scentlok leafy wear suit. Each peice measured 1inch X 1 inch. Each peice consisted of the carbon impregnated material only and none of the camoflage material. Each peice was placed in a small glass vial and was contaminated further with Ethyl benzene. This liquid was chosen because of its high boiling point. In other words it boils at 276 degrees F. One peice was placed in a drying oven ( in a chemistry lab) for 30 minutes at 200 degrees F. The other peices was left at room temperature and sealed in the glass vial for the same amount of time.
After the drying time both samples were washed in carbon disulfide. The carbon disulfide is used for a solvent or carrier and was not considered as one of the contaminents. both samples were washed for 45 minutes in a shaker. The samples were then filtered and run through a Gas chromatograph.
Results:
Results were run with a set of organic molecules being analyzed. Some of the compounds that were analyzed were from contamination while being worn and the ethyl benzene was a control. All numbers are given in parts per million. For every million parts their are that many parts of the contaminant.
Undried Sample:
Toluene 2.36 PPM
Ethyl benzene 9814 PPM
Xylene 8.83 PPM
Phenol 7.36 PPM
Dried sample
Toluene 0
Ehtyl Benzene 58.39 PPM
Xylene 0
Phenol 0
My take on this.
The Scentlok suits work and drying truely does reactivate them.
A few high points brought to light in this test.
1. A temperature of 200 F effectively removed almost all of the organic contaminants being analyzed. Now keep in mind that this oven was not agitating the material. It was just a constant temperature. A drying that is constantly moving the material should facilitate that removal of contaminants.
2. The oven temperature, which was lower than the boiling point of the ethyl benzene, removed 99.4 percent of the ethyl benzene. I chose this as a control becuase the boiling point was well above the oven temperature. Remember that these compounds do become vapor at less than the boiling point. That is what makes the drier an effective tool for reactivation.
3. The only down note on this is I have only a limited source for contamination and standards. If money and time were not an issue, then a more thorough test could be done with oils and aromatics that were present on the human body.
In light of all this. THE SUITS WORK AND CAN BE REACTIVATED!!! Be sure to question something you are not sure about. If we all listened to the guy claiming that 1700 degree was need for reactivation then we would all quite using the scent lok. ASK QUESTIONS. SEARCH FOR ANSWERS. MAKE YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS.
09-30-2003, 10:46 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Sturgis, SD
Posts: 1,983
RE: Carbon suits
Interesting study, you have all that stuff in your garage? 
These threads on scent lock have been fairly interesting. A couple of questions, are you affilitated with any of the companies that make the stuff and what is the p value on the trial that you did?
These threads on scent lock have been fairly interesting. A couple of questions, are you affilitated with any of the companies that make the stuff and what is the p value on the trial that you did?
09-30-2003, 10:52 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Claremore, OK. USA
Posts: 340
RE: Carbon suits
buckskin,
Good post! I think it would be pretty hard to argue with your results, unless that person arguing would be willing to perform their own test and post their results. A general statement saying that the suites do not work and are a waste of money is ridiculous....IMO!
I know I have an opinion.......and it is.....that they work! I have proven to myself over and over and over again!!!! No one could convince me otherwise.
I' ve made these statements in the past on other posts and I will say it again! On the other hand.......the suites are only going to perform if you handle them with care. Don' t be tricked into thinking that you can wear them anywhere and still be scent free. I don' t think any of the manufacturers have ever said that! The suites may trap and keep your odors from leaving, but they will not trap and adsorb odors that contaminate the OUTSIDE of the suite i.e. gas, food, smoke, beer, upholestry, etc. etc. You should use EXTREME caution in handling these garments to ensure that they perform to the fullest!
I am not saying run out and spend $200 or $300 or even $600 on a carbon suite. I am saying that IMO if you can afford a suite(s) and are even remotely interested in trying one....go get one and do the above and you will not be disappointed!!!
Good post! I think it would be pretty hard to argue with your results, unless that person arguing would be willing to perform their own test and post their results. A general statement saying that the suites do not work and are a waste of money is ridiculous....IMO!
I know I have an opinion.......and it is.....that they work! I have proven to myself over and over and over again!!!! No one could convince me otherwise.
I' ve made these statements in the past on other posts and I will say it again! On the other hand.......the suites are only going to perform if you handle them with care. Don' t be tricked into thinking that you can wear them anywhere and still be scent free. I don' t think any of the manufacturers have ever said that! The suites may trap and keep your odors from leaving, but they will not trap and adsorb odors that contaminate the OUTSIDE of the suite i.e. gas, food, smoke, beer, upholestry, etc. etc. You should use EXTREME caution in handling these garments to ensure that they perform to the fullest!
I am not saying run out and spend $200 or $300 or even $600 on a carbon suite. I am saying that IMO if you can afford a suite(s) and are even remotely interested in trying one....go get one and do the above and you will not be disappointed!!!
09-30-2003, 11:01 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Posts: 2,584
RE: Carbon suits
Interesting study, you have all that stuff in your garage?
One peice was placed in a drying oven ( in a chemistry lab) for 30 minutes at 200 degrees F.
09-30-2003, 12:14 PM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ridgeland MS USA
Posts: 850
RE: Carbon suits
I' m no scientist, so forgive me if I sound stupid, but your test proved that a liquid could be evaporated at 200 degrees. How does this prove that the scent lok suits are actually trapping gas(ie. human odor). Do that test and I will listen.
09-30-2003, 01:22 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Homer LA USA
Posts: 97
RE: Carbon suits
Purpose of the test: This test was intended to test the ability to reactivate carbon suits in a drier.
A little info about myself. I have a bachelors degree in Biology and a minor in chemistry. I am working on my thesis right now to complete my masters in Chemical Engineering. I work as a chemist full time. I have access to all the necessary equipment to perform this test under a controlled environment.
I will not argue whether carbon will adsorb scent. Activated carbon is used by companies world wide to control vapor release and scent/chemical containment. I can provide documentation from many scientific journal that support this claim. The statement that carbons suits don' t adsorb scent is based on a lack of information. They do adsorb scent. PERIOD.
The question is whether or not they can be reactivated by a normal household drier. Sorry if I confused anyone. These carbon suits will become " full" of scent and need to be cleansed or reactivated. This test was only meant to demonstrate the affectiveness of heating the suit to a control temperature that would approximate a clothes drier.
I am in no way affiliated with any hunting supply company, association, or service. I would not mind any job offers though.
A little info about myself. I have a bachelors degree in Biology and a minor in chemistry. I am working on my thesis right now to complete my masters in Chemical Engineering. I work as a chemist full time. I have access to all the necessary equipment to perform this test under a controlled environment.
I will not argue whether carbon will adsorb scent. Activated carbon is used by companies world wide to control vapor release and scent/chemical containment. I can provide documentation from many scientific journal that support this claim. The statement that carbons suits don' t adsorb scent is based on a lack of information. They do adsorb scent. PERIOD.
The question is whether or not they can be reactivated by a normal household drier. Sorry if I confused anyone. These carbon suits will become " full" of scent and need to be cleansed or reactivated. This test was only meant to demonstrate the affectiveness of heating the suit to a control temperature that would approximate a clothes drier.
I am in no way affiliated with any hunting supply company, association, or service. I would not mind any job offers though.
