Posts Tagged ‘argon gas’

Don’t “get” argon? This sixth-grader does!

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Abby Knows Argon!

Abby Knows Argon!

Recently a middle school student named Abby from Florida competed in her school’s science fair.  Her experiment was to find out which gases insulated better than air. She also explored how this might be helpful for outdoor clothing companies and used Klymit as an example. Yes, Klymit has been hollering this concept since introducing Klymit NobleTek insulation last year.  Klymit harnesses argon gas as the insulator in the Klymit Kinetic vest series. Basically, argon denies the transfer of heat away from your body, thus keeping you warm.  Abby’s experiment set out to test a air, helium, argon, and krypton against each other to see which inert gas resisted the transfer of heat.  The project put heat lamps underneath four air-tight pillows filled with a different gas. Then Abby heated from below with a heat lamp and thermometer on top to read any increase in temperature.  Abby was able to tell  the amount of heat that escaped by the rise in temperature and was able to tell which gas insulated the best.

Results yielded krypton as the winner of the heat insulators with argon gas coming in second, helium third and air being the worst. Abby was pretty surprised by the results, since part of her test meant predicting the results ahead of time based on what she knew about science.  Her original hypothesis and theory stated: “If I measure the amount of heat escaped through each gas then Krypton will be the best insulator and Helium the worst because Krypton has the highest atomic weight and Helium the lowest.” So after Abby’s findings, she concluded that her hypothesis was off just a bit.  Air proved to be the best at letting heat transfer, meaning air was the poorest insulator.  She concluded that air includes moisture. Water in air allows for heat transfer quickly and easily and is not ideal for insulation and trapping heat.

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Argon gas is so cool it’s even hot with the kids these days! And Abby’s experiment was so successful that she took FIRST PLACE for Middle School Chemistry at her school, and went on to take another FIRST at the Broward County Science Fair.  Now, Abby has been invited to compete at the Florida State Science Fair in Orlando in April.  Way to go, Abby!  Klymit is proud of you, and we’re excited to see how it goes at State!  Thanks for your interest in noble gases, and for doing such a noble job in helping others understand it.  Let us know when you’re ready for an internship!

Green Building and Argon Gas

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

You already know we are fans of Argon Gas and its ability to keep us warm with the Klymit Kinetic Vest Series, but that is not all.  Klymit has effectively taken Argon gas and harnessed its insulation properties into products that are prepped for any outdoor test. Well, Klymit certainly isn’t alone when looking at this gas and utilizing it for  consumer products and benefits. The Green  building movement, particularly insulated windows, are also channeling this noble gas for its thermal conductivity properties.  

Windows have come a long way recently with the use of insulating with Argon Gas. Window companies previously insulated with air, but now are finding the benefits of using Argon Gas to be superior.  Argon Gas vs. air filled windows are proficient at slowing the heat of summer or cold of the winter by slowing the transfer over the inside pane of glass. Normal air is so light that air tends to circulate  from hot to cold rapidly. With Argon gas being 5 times heavier than air it limits the amount of total movement  of the gas which further enhances the windows insulation level. Argon gas is so effective for window insulation because it minimizes the convection currents and overall heat transfer between the inside temperature and outside.

Most homes are now built or remodeled with double or triple panes.  Argon is the most commonly used fill gas, due to its proficient thermal performance and cost-efficiency compared to other gas fills.  Argon gas filled windows have huge potential to save homeowners a considerable amount on energy bills and over time the savings will result in a long term savings in costs.  . This odorless, colorless gas is inserted between panes of glass increases the windows efficiency and reducing conductive heat transfer. In addition, Argon gas is a naturally occurring component in the atmosphere making it non-toxic  and 100% safe.

As the government-backed trustworthy symbol for energy efficiency and a great source on products, the Energy Star label summarizes highly efficient products and designates superior energy performance in homes and buildings. The Energy Star label with insulated windows is enticing home owners and builders to  look at installing Argon insulated windows. With the trustworthy Energy Star label, users can benefit from tax breaks, long term savings and lower energy bills. Argon gas is just one aspect that is important for new windows.

Klymit is on the cutting edge of using their patent pending NobleTek insulation and harnessing the power of Argon gas in our Kinetic Vest Line series. With Argon gas trapped inside airtight, breathable chambers built into the vest lining, users can control their core temperature easily by inflating gas into the vest when cold and deflating when too hot. This insulation has been proven to be warmer than other insulators, like down, and is unique because it is thinner, lightweight, wind-proof, stays warm when wet and retain loft when inflated. Early testers have claimed Klymit  with its patent pending technology, NobleTek, as the warmest insulator out there.
Klymit is in good company and joining the ranks with the green builders and utilizing alternative energy. Being on the forefront of harnessing new technologies from naturally occurring gases from the earth, for the benefit of a greener future and warmer outdoor adventures.

Holler for a Greener Future!

Klymit geeks out, wins prestigious Popular Science “Best of What’s New 2009” award

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

From Outside Media’s chic geek Melinda Carlson-Smith:

melinda bio picI’m probably the science-geekiest member of the Outside Media crew.  I’m all about high-tech toys and watching documentaries about the universe or those shows about how things work.  Heck, I built my own super gaming PC back in the day from scratch (I know – NERD ALERT!)  But whether you’re a self-proclaimed geek like me, or just someone who loves cool stuff that works great, you’re probably well aware of the Popular Science “Best of What’s New” awardsCCF11102009_00001Once a year, Popular Science magazine gives a “shout out” to 100 of the coolest, most cutting-edge inventions around.  But in this issue, PopSci did more than a Klymit shout out.  They did a full-page feature story on the company and it’s amazing invention!  Go to the store and grab one and check it out.

I know you can't read this here--so go buy your own issue of PopSci and support this great mag!

I know you can't read this here--so go buy your own issue of PopSci and support this great mag!

It’s not easy to get noticed in that crowd, yet the Klymit Kinetic Vest, featuring NobleTek insulation, won a spot in this year’s pantheon of awesomeness.  I’m blown away by that, and I KNOW how rad Klymit and NobleTek are.  Of course, the Klymit Kinetic vest is an amazing piece of technology, but you have to read the article to truly appreciate how cool Klymit is, and how hard Klymit founder Nate Alder worked to make his dream come true.  Here’s my favorite part:

“Even though his engineering colleagues had estimated that it would cost $75,000 to create a working prototype, he (Alder) doggedly combed through the Internet and various trade shows to find cheap usable parts, eventually cobbling together a prototype out of a home wine preservation system, a bicycle pump, medical grade IV valves and a pair of Reebok Pump basketball shoes for a mere $100.  ‘Lo and behold, it just happened to work’ Alder says.”  –from Popular Science “Best of What’s New-Recreation: Not Just Hot Air”

Nate Alder, Klymit CEO

Nate Alder, Klymit CEO

To paraphrase the A-Team’s Hannibal Smith, “I love it when a plan comes together”.  Congrats to Nate and the whole Klymit crew.  You pulled off the rare feat of appealing to geeks as well as hardcore outdoor gear fanatics – and everybody in between.  Holler!