Argon Is it a myth

[tinman]

nickjb once bubbled...
do you have a link?

Not available on-line to my knowledge. In Canadian Dive Mag: "Diver", Dec 2002 issue.

 

[ScoobieDooo]

Yes, I had the hard copy as well...

 

[jeffkruse2000]

I was skeptical at first. Then I tried it and won't go back.
I even made my own Argon booster. Details and pictures will be on my website in the next week.
http://www.seanet.com/~katrinakruse/

This is a good article.
http://www.decompression.org/maiken/Why_Argon.htm

Jeff

 

[Mo2vation]

Welcome to the board. Cool stuff on your site. I like the animals to avoid section. Nothing about the collection process? Did I miss it?

Nice tank.

K

 

[tinman]

jeffkruse2000 once bubbled...
I was skeptical at first. Then I tried it and won't go back.
I even made my own Argon booster. Details and pictures will be on my website in the next week.
http://www.seanet.com/~katrinakruse/

This is a good article.
http://www.decompression.org/maiken/Why_Argon.htm

Jeff

Welcome Jeff. Great info. Slick canister light. You have a kindred soul in dmdalton on this board : http://home.earthlink.net/~toddclagett/NovaTech/knifesheath.htm

Always room for another MacGyver...

 

[Bob3]

Here's a scan of the UHMS article, copied & posted with their permission.
You'll have to scroll down to the bottom of the page; the free web host doesn't allow direct linking.

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/divers3/links.htm

 

[Dryglove]

jeffkruse2000 once bubbled...
I was skeptical at first. Then I tried it and won't go back.
I even made my own Argon booster. Details and pictures will be on my website in the next week.
http://www.seanet.com/~katrinakruse/

This is a good article.
http://www.decompression.org/maiken/Why_Argon.htm

Jeff

Cool website.I cant wait to read about the booster.

 

[IndyScott]

I still use and think Argon keeps me warmer than using air.


Scott =-)

 

[sheck33]

DanL once bubbled...
It's a myth. All that BS about gas density, thermal conductivity etc is only marginally important or plain wrong. Almost every point purported to be scientific explanation of argon benefit was simplistic and far from complete in condsideration of key factors such as psychrometrics, physiology, heat transfer etc. For example, argon was said to be more dense and compress less. BS. All gas compresses according to PV=nRT. Gas, any and all gas, is 1/2 the volume at 33ft as at the surface. At least that's what physics and basic PADI Open Water training tell me. WillAbbott must be NAUI trained (JK! REALLY!) Also, thermal conductivity plays a minor role relative to heat tranfer by convection, unless, that is, you stay absolutely still and don't pump and churn gas all thru your suit! Complex heat transfer, psychrometrics and phsiological factors all play a huge role in heat transfer from a dry suit. And hey, how about that head that supposedly can lose so much body heat. It's not even enclosed by that bag of air/argon/xenon we call a drysuit. Wear a darn warm, low water leakage hood!

Bottom line, pump a little extra gas in the suit (a tight suit is a cold suit), wear high quality warm and DRY undies, wear a very warm hood and you've probably optimized 90% of the heat transfer factors involved. Argon, shmargon....

interesting.
The density of Ar is 1.78 kg/m3 and air 1.29 kg/m3
Thermal conductivity of Ar is .0177 W/m-1K-1
Air .025 W/m-1K-1

So:

Argon IS more dense than air. That is fact.
Argon has a lower thermal conductivity than air. That is fact.
However gas compression has nothing to do with all this, pressures are far to low to notice any differences between gasses. Thermal conductivity does NOT play a minor role, rather the opposite. Convection is NOT the major way heat is lost in a drysuit, CONDUCTION is. All other factors being identical Ar will, simply by it's physical properties, DECREASE heatloss. Now whether the advantage is significant very much depends on the perception of the diver, someone that has not that big of an issue with the cold will probably say the difference is minor, however someone that gets cold easily might find that for him/her the difference is significant.

So the statement argon is a myth is BS. There is a simpel and solid basis for stating Ar keeps you warmer.

If you dont want to use Argon then dont but please do not post the nonsense that you posted, it is simply wrong.

Ok this is an older thread but i couldnt help responding

 

[Bob3]

Which has better insulation, a thermopane window or a Thermos bottle?
Everyone knows that a vacuum contains nothing to conduct heat, so let's get a volunteer to hook a vacuum pump on to his drysuit & shrink wrap his butt in the thing. :tease: