The current status and development trend of respiratory protection equipment

Breathing is at the top of the three major elements of human survival. People can't leave fresh air at all times. With the development of society, frequent fire and gas leaks have seriously endangered the lives and health of the people. In order to escape self-rescue, rescue, and fire fighting, respiratory protection equipment came into being.
Respiratory protective equipment is an effective device used to protect against hypoxia or toxic and harmful gases invade the human respiratory tract. The correct choice and use is the guarantee of safety and health.
Currently used respiratory protection equipment can be classified into work-type respirator and escape-type respirator (commonly known as gas mask) according to its purpose. Work-type respirator can be divided into positive pressure air respirator and positive pressure oxygen respirator; and escape respirator can be divided into filter-type self-rescue respirator and chemical oxygen self-rescue respirator.
The positive pressure air respirator adopts an open structure, and the exhaled gas is directly discharged into the atmospheric environment. With a positive pressure structure, the pressure in the mask is always greater than the external atmospheric pressure, so that the harmful gas in the outside can not invade the wearer's respiratory organs, and the use safety factor is high; Can be repeatedly used inflated, the use of low cost. Therefore, firefighters and rescue workers all prefer to use positive pressure air breathing apparatus, but the use of a short time, usually about 1 hour.
The gas exhaled by the positive pressure type oxygen breathing apparatus enters the clean can through the full-face mask, the exhalation hose and the exhalation valve. The absorbent (Ca(OH)2) in the clean can absorbs the carbon dioxide in the gas, and the remaining gas enters the airbag. . In addition, the compressed oxygen stored in the gas cylinders enters the balloon through a high-pressure tube and a pressure reducer, and is mixed into an oxygen-containing gas. Because both the exhalation valve and the inhalation valve are one-way valves, it ensures that the respiratory airflow always circulates in one direction. The use of a long time, usually about 4 hours, mine rescue personnel like to use positive pressure oxygen breathing apparatus. The disadvantage is that the wearer feels uncomfortable breathing and the user must possess certain professional knowledge and operating skills, because the absorbent and cooling ice must be installed before use, and the use cost is relatively high.
The filter self-rescue breathing apparatus uses treated activated carbon, catalyst and other agents to adsorb and catalyze toxic and harmful gases, making them non-toxic and harmless, but when the types of toxic and harmful gases are unknown, the concentrations are too high or exceed When it is protected, it cannot be used; when the oxygen concentration in the environment is less than 17%, it cannot be used.
Chemical vapor oxygen self-rescue breathing apparatus wearer exhaled gas water vapor and carbon dioxide chemical reaction with the oxygen generator (KO2), generating oxygen-rich gas for the wearer to breathe back and use. The respiratory system is isolated from the ambient air and is suitable for use in a variety of toxic and hazardous gases and anoxic environments.

The product standards for respiratory protection equipment in China are:
GB16556-1996 "Spontaneous Air Respirator";
GA124-2004 "Positive Pressure Fire Air Respirator";
MT867-2000 "Isolated Positive Pressure Oxygen Respirator";
GA209-1999 "fire filter self-rescue breathing apparatus";
GA411-2003 "Chemical oxygen fire self-rescue breathing apparatus."
The European Union’s product standards for respiratory protection devices include:
EN137-1993 "Air breathing apparatus technical requirements, tests, signs";
EN145-1997 "Respiratory protective devices - Compressed oxygen or oxygen-nitrogen self-protected closed-circuit respirator - Requirements, tests, signs";
EN403:1993 "Fire-fighting filter self-rescue breathing mask";
EN401: 1992 "Respiratory protection apparatus for self-rescue; regeneration apparatus; chemical oxygen (KO2) self-rescuer; requirements, tests, signs".
Since Germany is a world leader in respiratory protection, its product standards have been adopted by the European Community as a European standard, and all countries in the world use it as a model for formulating national standards.
The consistency degree between GA124-2004 and EN137-1993 in China is non-equivalent, and the consistency degree between GA209-1999 and EN403:1993 is equivalent. The degree of consistency between GA411-2003 and EN401:1992 is not equivalent.

At present, there are more than 20 manufacturers of air breathing apparatus in China, and the relatively large ones are: Shanghai Yige Safety Equipment Co., Ltd., Fushun Coal Mine Safety Instrument Factory, Bagu Industry & Trade (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Sino-US joint venture Wuxi Mei. Sina Safety Equipment Co., Ltd., Taizhou Hongbao Kelly Fire Equipment Factory and Jiangsu Dongtai Jianghai Lifesaving Fire Equipment Co., Ltd.
In 1987, the United States MSA Safety Equipment Co., Ltd. established a Sino-U.S. joint venture Wuxi Messian Safety Equipment Co., Ltd. in Wuxi. It is the first joint venture of respirators and mainly produces gas detection alarm instruments and personal protective equipment. Its positive pressure air respirator is mainly assembled. The product is characterized by solid and reliable. The gas supply valve is metal processing, the appearance is very beautiful, but the volume is a little bulky and the weight is relatively heavy.
Jiangsu Dongtai Jianghai Rescue Fire-fighting Equipment Co., Ltd. has been manufacturing positive pressure air respirator since 1993, and the localization rate is relatively high. The gas supply valve produced by it is one of the best in domestic gas supply valves.
In 1995, the United States SCOTT and Shanghai Diving Equipment Co., Ltd. jointly established Shanghai Yige Safety Equipment Co., Ltd. In 2003, the United States SCOTT Company acquired all the shares of Shanghai Diving Equipment Factory and became a US-owned enterprise, specializing in manufacturing positive pressure air breathing apparatus. . The characteristics of “Yage” products: the surface window is a cone-shaped, full-view surface window, and the air supply valve and the exhaust valve are integrated, and the opening resistance is small, and the air supply flow is large. The United States LUXFER products are used for supporting gas cylinders, and cylinder valves, pressure reducers, alarms, pressure gauges, and back frames are produced in China. The structure is similar to that of DRAGER.
In 1996, France Bagu Industry & Trade Co., Ltd. cooperated with Waigaoqiao Economic Development Zone to establish Bacou Industry & Trade (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. In 2003, France Bagu acquired all the shares of China and became a French-owned enterprise. In addition to operating positive pressure air respirator, it also operates various other labor protection products. Bacou full face mask adopts traditional cylindrical surface window, wide field of vision, gas valve adopts French FANZY company's products, supporting gas cylinder adopts American SCI company's products, cylinder valve, pressure reducer, alarm, pressure gauge, back frame Such as China's production.
Fushun Coal Mine Safety Instrument Factory is the first domestically manufactured positive pressure air respirator, and there was a brilliant yesterday. In recent years, with the increasingly fierce market competition, companies have been less prosperous. The outflow of personnel and the aging of equipment have caused its products to remain at the original level, lagging behind other domestic enterprises. However, it is worth mentioning that its localization rate is very high, and in addition to the full-face mask, almost all of its own production. Now, Fushun Coal Mine Safety Instrument Factory is working hard to revitalize and actively develop positive pressure air respirator and other coal mine safety products.
Taizhou Hongbao Kelly Fire Equipment Factory has been manufacturing positive pressure air respirator since 1998. The main components are assembly. The full face mask and air supply valve are manufactured by SABER Company in the United Kingdom. The full-face mask is full-view surface window and the volume of the supply valve is Smaller, mounted on the side of the window. Product features are simple, beautiful, convenient assembly and disassembly.
Taizhou Huatong Fire Equipment Co., Ltd. began production of positive pressure air respirator in 2001. Full face masks and air supply valves are manufactured by the U.S. ISI Safety Instrument Co., Ltd., which is affiliated with Shanghai Guliang Industry & Trade Co., Ltd., and the mask is free to wear. Switch between "breathing environment air" and "breathing cylinder air". Normally, firefighters can breathe ambient air during training, reducing the trouble of repeated inflation. The supporting gas cylinders are made by domestically produced Kangbasite Company, and cylinder valves, pressure reducers, alarms, pressure gauges, and back frames are all produced in China.
In addition to the above several air respirator manufacturers, there are: China Coal Research Institute, Chongqing Branch, Shanxi Hongan Technology Co., Ltd., Huayan Marine Equipment Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Dongtai Dongfang Ship Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanxi Shenrui Technology Co., Ltd., Fushun Huateng Protective Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Beijing Keliheng Safety Equipment Co., Ltd., Wuhu Huaxia Fire-fighting Equipment Co., Ltd., Nanjing Fire-fighting Equipment Factory, Weiersaifu Safety Equipment (Wuxi) Co., Ltd., and Wuxi City Baofeng Safety Technology Co., Ltd., Shenyang Kejin New Material Co., Ltd., Nanan City, Fujian Province Xinglong Fire Equipment Factory and other air respirator manufacturing plants. Products are sold to fire, ships, petrochemicals and coal mines.
As we all know, air breathing apparatus is a more professional production category, the general business is not a big scale. In recent years, rapid development of air breathing apparatus has played an important role in the rescue and relief of fire, coal, and chemical industries.

Air respirator was born in the 70s of the last century, and it has been continuously improved for nearly 30 years. From the perspective of product performance, it is basically perfect. Among the numerous air breathing apparatus manufacturers: U.S. International Security Equipment Co., Ltd. (MSI), MSA Security Equipment Co., Ltd., SCOTT Security Equipment Co., Ltd., DRAGER Security Equipment (USA) Co., Ltd., SURVER Security Equipment Co., Ltd., Germany DRAGER Security Equipment Co., Ltd., France's Bagu Industry & Trade Co., Ltd. (FINZY), UK SABRE Safety Equipment Co., Ltd., Switzerland's INTERSPIRO Safety Equipment Co., Ltd., Japan's STS Komatsu Co., Ltd., Korea Sankyo Corporation and Sanqing Corporations, etc. are currently the main international production plants.
Positive pressure air respirator produced in China has a certain gap with foreign countries in the three parts of full-face mask, air supply valve and back frame.
The full-face masks and back frames abroad are designed and manufactured according to ergonomic principles. The sealing material of the full-face mask is soft and has good sealing properties. The back frame and the human body are well-matched on the back, comfortable on the back and uniform in force; Valve air flow is large and the valve is flexible.

In recent years, scientists in various countries have continuously studied the improvement of air respirator. The biggest weakness of air respirators is the short time of use, and the effective extension of the use time is a topic most concerned to everyone. There are mainly the following ways to solve the problem of extending the use time:
1 Under the premise that the existing wearing weight does not change, the gas storage capacity of the cylinder is increased by increasing the rated working pressure and volume of the cylinder. Try to use new materials and new processes to reduce the weight of full-face masks, cylinder valves, air supply valves, pressure reducers, and back frames, leaving room for increased weight. At present, the maximum rated working pressure of the cylinder is 30 MPa. If it is increased to 60 MPa, the gas storage capacity of the cylinder will be doubled and the usage time will be doubled correspondingly; the volume of the gas cylinder will double, and the gas storage capacity of the cylinder will double. It will double and use time will double accordingly. With the organic combination of the two, the gas storage capacity will increase geometrically.
2 Reduce unnecessary gas use. For example, "breathing ambient air" and "breathing cylinder air" can be freely switched, filter-type respirator and air respirator can be freely switched.
3 The application of electronic sensing technology to air respirator forms an intelligent air respirator. When the outside poison gas concentration exceeds the limit or the oxygen concentration is less than 17%, it automatically switches to an air respirator.
Another development direction of air respirators is the improvement of products, including organic combinations of sound and light alarms, communication devices, emergency calls, and light guidance. In a dimly lit environment, firefighters can see teammates quickly by seeing the light guides on their backs. Through the communication device, the firefighters can contact the teammates and the command vehicle. Once the firefighter encounters an accident, the emergency call device automatically opens and guides teammates to rescue them in time.
In addition to the above-mentioned development directions, the technical personnel of various countries who study air respirators are improving and improving the basic structural components such as air supply valves, cylinder valves, pressure reducers, alarms, pressure gauges, and back frames. Strive to be simple, reliable and perfect.