Study on Charcoal Sorbent Encapsulation in High-Molecular Compound during the Development of Filtering Personal Protective Equipment of Skin

Abstract

Personal protective equipment (PPE) of skin, made of filtering materials is the most convenient equipment for work in the areas, contaminated with percutaneous toxic chemicals. These kinds of materials must contain activated charcoal on its surface, enough for safe exploitation of PPE. The main task of polymer component in composite filter protective material for PPE is to fix the activated charcoal on the material`s surface, to sorb toxic chemical and to transport it into sorbent`s macro- and mesopores. During the study on the penetrability of methyl salicylate – toxic chemical`s simulator – into such polymer materials, like polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, styrenebutadiene-styrene polymer and polypropylene it was found out, that styrene-butadiene-styrene polymer possessed the highest sorptivity towards methyl salicylate. So there are good reasons to continue the studies on charcoal sorbent encapsulation in high-molecular compound during the development of filtering personal protective equipment of skin, with the use of styrene-butadienestyrene polymer as a matrix.