Development of a perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PMCH) permeation plug release vessel (PPRV) for tracer gas studies in underground mines

Abstract

Perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PMCH) is a member of the perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) group of compounds. PMCH has been widely used in various tracer gas studies to characterize ventilation systems, atmospheric transport patterns, and pollution distribution schemes. PMCH exists as a volatile liquid at room temperature and pressure, a characteristic that prevents PMCH from being deployed using traditional means. This paper presents a design for a permeation plug release vessel (PPRV) for PMCH. The PPRV is designed to passively deploy PMCH vapor at constant rate as a function of temperature and plug thickness for quantitative tracer gas studies. Details regarding the development process and the release rate analysis are included.