Freeze spray

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Spray containing propane, butane, and ethanol, for dental applications Kaltespray 2009 PD IMG 5196.JPG
Spray containing propane, butane, and ethanol, for dental applications

Freeze spray (cold spray or vapocoolant) is a type of aerosol spray product containing a liquified gas used for rapidly cooling surfaces, in medical and industrial applications. It is usually sold in hand-held spray cans. It may consist of various substances, which produce different temperatures, depending on the application.

Contents

Some of them are highly flammable. [1] Several other types of compressed gas sprays also have a freezing effect: for example, tetrafluoroethane, gas dusters, liquid nitrogen, and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers.

Applications

"Magic" ice spray used to treat a sports injury Other (5071755821).jpg
"Magic" ice spray used to treat a sports injury

Industrial

For spot-cooling of electronic components during troubleshooting, dimethyl ether or tetrafluoroethane may be used. [2]

Freeze sprays are also used to contract metal for assembly or disassembly of interference fit parts.[ citation needed ]

The extreme temperature can cause viscoelastic materials to change to glass phase. Thus it is useful for removing many types of pressure sensitive adhesives. [3]

Medical

Medical cryotherapy gun with liquid nitrogen Cryogun.jpg
Medical cryotherapy gun with liquid nitrogen

In medical applications, spray cans containing dimethyl ether [4] or tetrafluoroethane may also be used to freeze and destroy tissue, for removal of warts and skin tags, or other uses in cryosurgery. Liquified petroleum gas including propane and butane is sometimes used. These all may also be used as a topical anesthetic, due to the numbing effect of cold, though there is risk of frostbite.

Chloroethane may be used as a topical pain reliever, and an alternative to ice pack therapy to reduce inflammation and swelling. Since its boiling point is well above the freezing point of water, there is less risk of freezing the skin, though it can still be dangerous if misused. It may be used to treat sports injuries, where it is sometimes known as ice spray or magic spray. [5]

Other

Freeze spray has been shown useful for the field marking of animals; for example marking the tails of monkeys. Research is continuing to help control the application dosage and time to minimize permanent damage to the animals. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Inhalants are a broad range of household and industrial chemicals whose volatile vapors or pressurized gases can be concentrated and breathed in via the nose or mouth to produce intoxication, in a manner not intended by the manufacturer. They are inhaled at room temperature through volatilization or from a pressurized container, and do not include drugs that are sniffed after burning or heating. For example, amyl nitrite (poppers), nitrous oxide and toluene – a solvent widely used in contact cement, permanent markers, and certain types of glue – are considered inhalants, but smoking tobacco, cannabis, and crack cocaine are not, even though these drugs are inhaled as smoke or vapor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dry ice</span> Solid carbon dioxide

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is commonly used for temporary refrigeration as CO2 does not have a liquid state at normal atmospheric pressure and sublimates directly from the solid state to the gas state. It is used primarily as a cooling agent, but is also used in fog machines at theatres for dramatic effects. Its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue (other than incidental frost from moisture in the atmosphere). It is useful for preserving frozen foods (such as ice cream) where mechanical cooling is unavailable.

Cryobiology is the branch of biology that studies the effects of low temperatures on living things within Earth's cryosphere or in science. The word cryobiology is derived from the Greek words κρῧος [kryos], "cold", βίος [bios], "life", and λόγος [logos], "word". In practice, cryobiology is the study of biological material or systems at temperatures below normal. Materials or systems studied may include proteins, cells, tissues, organs, or whole organisms. Temperatures may range from moderately hypothermic conditions to cryogenic temperatures.

A propellant is a mass that is expelled or expanded in such a way as to create a thrust or another motive force in accordance with Newton's third law of motion, and "propel" a vehicle, projectile, or fluid payload. In vehicles, the engine that expels the propellant is called a reaction engine. Although technically a propellant is the reaction mass used to create thrust, the term "propellant" is often used to describe a substance which contains both the reaction mass and the fuel that holds the energy used to accelerate the reaction mass. For example, the term "propellant" is often used in chemical rocket design to describe a combined fuel/propellant, although the propellants should not be confused with the fuel that is used by an engine to produce the energy that expels the propellant. Even though the byproducts of substances used as fuel are also often used as a reaction mass to create the thrust, such as with a chemical rocket engine, propellant and fuel are two distinct concepts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice diving</span> Underwater diving under ice

Ice diving is a type of penetration diving where the dive takes place under ice. Because diving under ice places the diver in an overhead environment typically with only a single entry/exit point, it requires special procedures and equipment. Ice diving is done for purposes of recreation, scientific research, public safety and other professional or commercial reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liquid nitrogen</span> Liquid state of nitrogen

Liquid nitrogenLN2—is nitrogen in a liquid state at low temperature. Liquid nitrogen has a boiling point of about −195.8 °C (−320 °F; 77 K). It is produced industrially by fractional distillation of liquid air. It is a colorless, mobile liquid whose viscosity is about one tenth that of acetone. Liquid nitrogen is widely used as a coolant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plantar wart</span> Medical condition

A plantar wart, or verruca vulgaris, is a wart occurring on the bottom of the foot or toes. Its color is typically similar to that of the skin. Small black dots often occur on the surface. One or more may occur in an area. They may result in pain with pressure such that walking is difficult.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerosol spray dispenser</span> Dispensing system of an aerosol mist

Aerosol spray is a type of dispensing system which creates an aerosol mist of liquid particles. It comprises a can or bottle that contains a payload, and a propellant under pressure. When the container's valve is opened, the payload is forced out of a small opening and emerges as an aerosol or mist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freeze drying</span> Low temperature dehydration process

Freeze drying, also known as lyophilization or cryodesiccation, is a low temperature dehydration process that involves freezing the product and lowering pressure, removing the ice by sublimation. This is in contrast to dehydration by most conventional methods that evaporate water using heat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eschar</span> Piece of dead tissue causes by some skin injuries

An eschar is a slough or piece of dead tissue that is cast off from the surface of the skin, particularly after a burn injury, but also seen in gangrene, ulcer, fungal infections, necrotizing spider bite wounds, tick bites associated with spotted fevers and exposure to cutaneous anthrax. The term ‘eschar’ is not interchangeable with ‘scab’. An eschar contains necrotic tissue whereas a scab is composed of dried blood and exudate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refrigerator</span> Appliance for cold food storage

A refrigerator, colloquially fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so that its inside is cooled to a temperature below the room temperature. Refrigeration is an essential food storage technique around the world. The lower temperature lowers the reproduction rate of bacteria, so the refrigerator reduces the rate of spoilage. A refrigerator maintains a temperature a few degrees above the freezing point of water. The optimal temperature range for perishable food storage is 3 to 5 °C. A similar device that maintains a temperature below the freezing point of water is called a freezer. The refrigerator replaced the icebox, which had been a common household appliance for almost a century and a half. The United States Food and Drug Administration recommends that the refrigerator be kept at or below 4 °C (40 °F) and that the freezer be regulated at −18 °C (0 °F).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cryosurgery</span> Cauterization by freezing tissue

Cryosurgery is the use of extreme cold in surgery to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue; thus, it is the surgical application of cryoablation. The term comes from the Greek words cryo (κρύο) and surgery meaning "hand work" or "handiwork". Cryosurgery has been historically used to treat a number of diseases and disorders, especially a variety of benign and malignant skin conditions.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasal spray</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gas duster</span> Product used for cleaning or dusting sensitive devices that cannot be cleaned using water

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disiloxane</span> Chemical compound

Disiloxane has the chemical formula Si
2
H
6
O
. It is the simplest known siloxane with hydrogen only R groups. The molecule contains six equivalent Si-H bonds and two equivalent Si-O bonds. Disiloxane exists as a colorless, pungent gas under standard conditions. However, it is generally safe for human use as evidence in its widespread use in cosmetics. It is also commonly known as disilyl ether, disilyl oxide, and perhydrodisiloxane

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerosol burn</span> Medical condition

An aerosol frostbite of the skin is an injury to the body caused by the pressurized gas within an aerosol spray cooling quickly, with the sudden drop in temperature sufficient to cause frostbite to the applied area. Medical studies have noted an increase of this practice, known as "frosting", in pediatric and teenage patients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mechanism of diving regulators</span> How the mechanisms of diving regulators work

The mechanism of diving regulators is the arrangement of components and function of gas pressure regulators used in the systems which supply breathing gases for underwater diving. Both free-flow and demand regulators use mechanical feedback of the downstream pressure to control the opening of a valve which controls gas flow from the upstream, high-pressure side, to the downstream, low-pressure side of each stage. Flow capacity must be sufficient to allow the downstream pressure to be maintained at maximum demand, and sensitivity must be appropriate to deliver maximum required flow rate with a small variation in downstream pressure, and for a large variation in supply pressure, without instability of flow. Open circuit scuba regulators must also deliver against a variable ambient pressure. They must be robust and reliable, as they are life-support equipment which must function in the relatively hostile seawater environment, and the human interface must be comfortable over periods of several hours.

References

  1. Shadgan B, Med S, Pakravan AH, Hoens A, Reid WD. Subcutaneous and Intramuscular Hemodynamics and Oxygenation After Cold-Spray Application as Monitored by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. J Athl Train. 2015;50(8):800-805. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-50.6.02
  2. Knight KL, Brucker JB, Stoneman PD, Rubley MD. Muscle injury management with cryotherapy. Athl Ther Today. 2000;5(4):26–30.
  3. US 5798169,Smith, Christopher A.,"Self-containing tamper evident seal",published 1998-08-25, assigned to Sealed Air Corp.
  4. "A Pharmacist's Guide to OTC Therapy: OTC Treatments for Warts". July 2006. Archived from the original on 2010-06-17. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  5. Widman, Miriam (June 16, 2015). "'Magic' freeze sprays can do deep damage". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  6. Fernandez-Duque1, Eduardo (2003), "Field Methods for Capturing and Marking Azarai Night Monkeys" (PDF), International Journal of Primatology, 24 (5): 1113–1120, doi:10.1023/a:1026284430453, S2CID   44002464 , retrieved 28 August 2017