Fig. 4. Repeatability and practical benefits of gas charging. (a) Reproducibility of Ar charging. The two data sets show the thermal conductivity vs. time for one set of neoprene coupons, charged and then recharged with the gas. (b) Analogous curves to panel (a), but with a different set of neoprene samples that were charged and recharged using Xe as the charging gas. (c) Thermal conductivity vs. time for bare neoprene charged with Kr compared with data for a full wetsuit, also charged with Kr. (d) Predictions of eqn (6) for the time to hypothermia (i.e., time required for core body temperature Tcore to decrease from the initial value, 37 °C, to Th = 35 °C) as a function of water temperature for no wetsuit and for wetsuits with the indicated gases. These data are compared to experimental data (shaded grey region) reported by Aguilella-Arzo et al.22 (“Range Lit. Data”). Note the logarithmic vertical axis.
