Aerosols are cans that hold liquid under pressure and release it as a mist through a valve. They were first used by American soldiers in WWII as mosquito repellent. Until the late 1980s, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were used as propellants, but they were found to be harmful to the ozone layer. Since then, substitute propellants like propane and isobutene have been used, but they are flammable and toxic. Aerosols are still environmentally friendly and recyclable, and the pressure inside them is not dangerous.
Aerosols are cans that hold a liquid under significant pressure along with something else to keep the pressure equalized. A sort of valve on the can allows a quantity of liquid to be released in the form of a mist. All sorts of things are dispersed in the form of aerosols, from spray paints to insect repellents to cleaners. The first widely used aerosol was used during World War II by American soldiers as a way to easily spray mosquito repellent to protect against ubiquitous insects in the Pacific arena. After the war, the mechanism was adopted by a staggering number of products, and aerosol cans quickly became a western consumer staple.
Until the late 1980s, some of the most common agents used to keep the liquid in a state of equilibrium inside the can belonged to a class known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Eventually, it became apparent that these CFCs, used not only in aerosols but also in refrigerators and many detergents, were having incredibly detrimental effects on the planet’s protective ozone layer. As a result, in 1989, the Montreal Protocol ended the widespread use of CFCs and they have essentially never been used as a propellant in aerosols since then.
Aerosol substitute propellants, such as propane and isobutene, are much less harmful to the environment than CFCs. Unfortunately, they are highly flammable and therefore pose a safety risk, although most people consider it negligible. Propellants such as butanes and propane also have the disadvantage of being highly toxic when ingested by humans, making them unsuitable for use in aerosols that dispense food products. As a result, most foods that come in aerosols, such as whipped cream, use nitrous oxide as a propellant.
Aerosols still have a stigma due to their previous use of CFCs, but in many cases they are a fairly environmentally friendly form of product dispensing. Often, a large amount of product can be stored under pressure in a relatively small container. The canisters used in most major aerosol dispensers are also recyclable, and thousands of recycling centers across the United States accept them.
While aerosols can break if subjected to intense heat or punctured, there is rarely any danger associated with this. While many people think that aerosols are subjected to very high pressures, in fact, one of the main points of aerosols is that they are able to store pressurized liquids at relatively low pressures. Using propellant as a balance ensures that the pressure in an aerosol can is never so great that it poses a significant risk of injury if opened.
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