TOXICANT ENTRAINMENT TEST-CLOTHING OUTFIT, ROCKET FUEL HANDLERS A/P 22P-L

Under normal operation, the suit is pressurized to 0.5 inches of water pressure from the Environmental control unit air flow in conjunction with the suit pressure relief valves. When the suit is torn, it deflates and the air flow escapes through the hole. By placing a source of smoke just outside the hole, it will be blown away with no smoke entering that can be seen. This test shows that NO2-N2O4 vapors will enter the suit against this air flow out of the hole. In fact, it will enter the suit at such a high rate that any suit wearer who notices his suit has deflated because of a tear should go to a safe area and get out of that suit immediately. The suit still gives some protection to the wearer while leaving the area but the concentration inside the suit goes above safe limits almost immediately. The test shows the closer a tear occurs to the recirculation inlet of the ECU, the faster the concentration builds up in the helmet which receives most of the air flow from the ECU. The concentration at the tear was lower that at the head because of the high velocity of air going out of the tear from all directions around the tear.