Difference between revisions of "Solid Air"

Latest revision as of 22:02, 8 September 2012

Ammonium Nitrate - Solid Air.

Created by Ace Dreamer.

Solid Air is one of the main products of Moria CHONics, and is sold through distributors all over the Solar System. The idea is that solid ammonium nitrate and solid carbon are a lot easier to transport and store than gases, even given their use in making explosives.

Air Maker

A rugged fist-sized waved gadget which can turn Solid Air into an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, with traces of carbon dioxide, at Earth sea-level pressure ('one Atmosphere'). These are typically given away free with the first non-trivial purchase of Solid Air.

An Air Maker can completely replace eight cubic metres (about 90 cubic feet) of atmosphere using about 12.5kg of 'Solid Air', from hard vacuum, in less than three minutes. An 'emergency fill' can provide that volume with a survivable (oxygen-rich) atmosphere in about forty seconds. There is some waste ethanol.

Eight cubic metres is a common size for medium airlocks, and the total volume of many Fen personal vehicles will be less than that. Bigger versions, that work quicker, are sold.

Air Saver

These are far less common devices, though the logic behind them is pretty obvious. These will turn air from a breathable standard atmosphere into the ammonium nitrate part of Solid Air, given a supply of water. If ethanol is supplied, instead of water, then the result exactly matches Solid Air, including the carbon. More sophisticated versions of these will work with such efficiency that they 'save' 99% of the air in an airlock (or a vehicle being depressurised) as Solid Air. Allegedly Boskone occasionally used these, running slowly, on uncooperative vehicles that they had grappled, though this doesn't seem very credible.

Air Savers are not generally for sale, except as part of an integrated life support system. Most Mads could quickly build one.