The Chemistry behind the Air Bag:: High Tech in First-Year Chemistry

• Andreas Madlung ^[1]
  1. [1] Oregon State University

     Oregon State University

     Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 73, Nº 4 (April), 1996, págs. 347-348
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The chemical process of air bag deployment provides practical applications of gas laws and stoichiometric equations appropriate for use in first-year chemistry. In case of an accident the mixture of NaN3, KNO3, and SiO2 in the gas generator is ignited through an electrical impulse which triggers deflagration and the liberation of a precalculated volume of nitrogen gas. Subsequent reactions transform byproducts into stable, non-toxic compounds. This process lends itself as an illustration of gas laws in modern technology.