Risks in wildland fires are extremely heterogeneous: heat, humidity, thermal radiation, incandescent particles, microparticles, nanoparticles, fog, aqueous dispersion, viruses, bacteria, enzymes, proteins, etc. and also the presence of organic and inorganic gases and vapours, acids, amines, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, acrolein and VOCs.
Currently there is no long-lasting filter in the market capable of removing carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, VOCs or NOx (four of the top 5 smoke hazards in wildfires).
Vallfirest and Astrea Materials have used nanotechnology to develop a CO filter capable of protecting efficiently wildland firefighters during extinction operations. A solution that has aroused the interest of the Fire Safety Summit | Human Dimensions Conference, the most important fire safety fair in the United States.
Under the title 'Nanotechnology: new properties, new materials and what can it do for firemen', Dr. Ernest Mendoza, founder of Astrea Materials, explains how this filtering formula works, which is the result of 15 years of research and industrial development.
The product is composed of a patented precious metal catalyst and an additional P3 R particle filter.
Our gold nanoparticle formula results from 15 years of basic research and industrial development. These nanoparticles have the unprecedented ability to eliminate contaminating compounds such as CO, NOx and formaldehyde at room temperature and in the presence of humidity (>90 % RRHH) without the need of any desiccant stage, as would otherwise be required with conventional materials such as hopcalite. The result is a product that offers stable removal of airborne pollutants for long periods of time and therefore becomes of practical use in wildland fire extinguishing work. The cartridge is completed with a certified P3/P100 particle filter.
Bayonet for direct connection to the Xtreme Mask, guaranteeing a good seal and comfortable use in wildfire, compatible with all types of glasses, hearing protectors and with most helmets available on the market.
Fire test results:
In typical shift of 6 h:
- CO Filtration > 98%
- NOx Filtration >98%
- Formaldehyde removal (formaldehyde is turned to CO2 and H2O) > 98%
- Additional protection from VOCs
