Background And Objectives: Cryogen spray cooling with tetrafluoroethane (R134a) has been used to enhance epidermal protection during dermatologic laser surgery. However, R134a has a very high global warming potential (GWP = 1300). Our objective was to evaluate the cooling effectiveness of an alternative cryogen with a much lower GWP, namely liquid carbon dioxide (CO(2), GWP = 1).
Study Design/materials And Methods: A thin-film thermocouple deposited on an epoxy skin phantom was used to measure surface temperature (T(s)) variations induced by R134a or CO(2) sprays. The temperature distribution in the skin phantom was estimated using T(s) and Duhamel's method. Impact pressure and noise level of both cryogen sprays were measured with a dynamic sensor and sound meter, respectively. Consumption of both cryogens was also evaluated.
Results: For R134a sprays, T(s) was kept almost constant after 15 milliseconds. For CO(2) sprays, T(s) decreased continuously during the entire spurt of 50 milliseconds. The minimum T(s) induced by the CO(2) sprays was lower than that induced by R134a when the spurt duration was longer than 35 milliseconds. Numerical simulation shows that CO(2) sprays were able to induce very similar temperature reductions in the skin phantom as compared to R134a sprays when the spurt duration and delay time were selected appropriately. R134a sprays induced an impact pressure of 3.6 kPa, as compared to 43.1 kPa for CO(2) sprays. The maximum noise level for R134a sprays was 109 dBA as compared to 135 dBA for the CO(2) sprays. The R134a consumption for a 50 milliseconds spurt is 67 mg as compared to 225 mg for a CO(2) spurt of the same duration.
Conclusions: CO(2) sprays are expected to have similar skin cooling efficacy as R134a sprays. Although the CO(2) consumption is higher than R134a, its contribution to global warming is still much less than R134a. The effects of varying spurt durations on in vivo human skin and the impact on cutaneous blood flow require further investigation.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lsm.20582 | DOI Listing |
Nanomaterials (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy.
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November 2024
Department of Biophysics, N.I. Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Colloid Interface Sci
December 2024
Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Environmental, Friendly Materials Technical Service Platform, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have garnered considerable interest in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. This study detail the synthesis of single-atom Pd catalysts supported on metal oxides using the Flame Spray Pyrolysis (FSP) method. This technique allows for the preparation of TiO with abundant oxygen vacancies by incorporating a hydrogen-rich atmosphere at high temperature (>2000 K) utilizing the quenching ring, which enhances the catalyst synthesis process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
December 2024
Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, USA.
Marine microorganisms play a critical role in regulating atmospheric CO concentration via the biological carbon pump. Deposition of continental mineral dust on the sea surface increases carbon sequestration but the interaction between minerals and marine microorganisms is not well understood. We discovered that the interaction of clay minerals with dissolved organic matter and a γ-proteobacterium in seawater increases Transparent Exopolymer Particle (TEP) concentration, leading to organoclay floc formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
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Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Biosorbents, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCar, 13600970 Araras, SP, Brazil. Electronic address:
Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) are critical for sustainable agriculture, providing essential nutrients while minimizing environmental impact. However, developing EEFs that effectively degrade after use remains a significant challenge. This study investigates the biodegradation and nutrient release profiles of EEFs composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and starch-nutrient microspheres.
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