Reply-to: "General Discussion: On-Topic and
Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
An interesting proposition. Does plastic still
out-gas even if it's
vacuum-packed?
Probably faster. I would think a helium environment would be better, but I
am no chemist.
I would tend to agree. The lower the external pressure (e.g. by vacuum
packing), the more likely things are to outgas.
The problem with helium is that the atom is so small that it will difuse
though just about anything. This is a problem with some HeNe laser tubes
which lose their helium over time. Perhaps one of the heavier intert
gases would be suitable for packing plastics, but I am not sure it would
do that much good.
-tony
Gas of choice and very cheap is nitrogen gas. Large enough molecules
not to "diffuse through" and neutral.
In fact, air we beathe is 80% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, traces of other
noble gases.
This is another reason for a need to have EGR to cut down on NOX
emissions in most engines that could run hot enough to recombine
nitrogen with others into NOX which is a pollution. EGR lowers the
fire chambers temps enough to cut down on NOX lot.
Cheers, Wizard
