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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!iuvax!ndmath!ndcheg!doug
From: doug@ndcheg.UUCP (Doug Price)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.physics
Subject: Re: Xenon/oxygen
Message-ID: <289@ndcheg.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 4-Oct-87 12:35:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: ndcheg.289
Posted: Sun Oct  4 12:35:44 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 7-Oct-87 05:54:54 EDT
References: <18@krafla.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Notre Dame
Lines: 28
Summary: xenon/oxygen
Xref: mnetor sci.bio:681 sci.physics:2381

In article <18@krafla.UUCP>, frisk@krafla.UUCP (Fridrik Skulason) writes:
> Can anyone tell me if a high-pressure mixture of xenon and oxygen would
> be breathable.
> 
> The reason I am asking this is that it should be possible to create a mixture
> with density just above that of water.
> 
> Now - if this mixture is breathable - it should be possible to float around in
> this. Just imagine it - we would finally be able to fly like the birds. :-)
> 
> -- 
>          Fridrik Skulason          University of Iceland
>          UUCP  frisk@rhi.uucp      BIX  frisk
> 
>      This line intentionally left blank ...................


Xenon is a colorless, odorless, nonreactive inert gas with anesthetic
properties.  It acts as a simple asphyxiant by displacing air. Since xenon
is 4.56 more dense than air at 21 C, I wonder how you can keep a homogenous
mixture of xenon/O2 without going to zero gravity? Also, 300 liters of 
800 psig xenon will run you approximately $3600 (U.S.). Seems like you 
would have a little trouble getting adequate funding for this project just
to fly like a bird. 
            
__      Doug Price       University of Notre Dame
       ..!iuvax!ndmath!ndcheg!doug