what will 4500psi of compressed air do to human flesh if it bursts free from a hose with no debris?

Question

i have a paintball gun and it is powered with a 4500psi tank and i wanted to know what would happen if the hose split and blew 4500psi onto my arm if anything and just the air not if anything comes flying out with the air

i have a paintball gun and it is powered with a 4500psi tank and i wanted to know what would happen if the hose split and blew 4500psi onto my arm if anything and just the air not if anything comes flying out with the air...... I'm not afraid of it happening i was just wondering what people thought and my gun is in great condition and there isnt a chance of it happening

also the hose would be within 1 foot of my arm and in most cases my arm would be almost directly on it

Answer 1

sustained exposure to a fine stream of gas at 4500psi would very likely cause injury or death to a person. OSHA has warnings about amputations and related injuries from high pressure gas and limits pressure for industrial cleaning to 30PSI. But, not all ruptures are the same. Your tank is not sending 4500psi down the hose, instead, you have a regulator that controls the burst. The tank itself may be pressurized to 4500psi but that's so you can pack a lot of propellant into a small container. Now, a container rupture would send aluminum or carbon fiber shrapnel at your head. That would hurt! the hose though.. 500-800 psi in a short blast. it might cause a welt.. could be worse if the air gets forced into an open wound but I probably wouldn't lose too much sleep over it.

Answer 2

I am not familiar with paint ball guns.

The typical high pressure Compressed Air Hoses are usually rated for at most 1,500 PSI.

If the hose is not restrained, it will whip around shooting out the air until the expansion of the compressed air and the pressurized source are expended. Because of the potential for injury this creates OSHA has standards on how to restrain Air Hoses 3/4" and over.

At 4,500 PSI pressure it would be potentially LIFE THREATENINGLY DANGEROUS, if the supply source could maintain the reaction of the hose for any significant amount of time, which I doubt it can.

Hydraulic failures at this sort of pressure have injected the fluid into people in the case of hose failures and KILLED people.

Pnuematic syringes are used to inject vacines directly under the skin.

I would assume and hope that the paint ball manufacturer has taken this into account in the design of the gun and has a significant safety factor in his design.

In the USA the industry standard safety factor for Air Hose is generally 4:1.

Good Luck

Answer 3

There is a danger but its low. You need pressure and volume. The pipe has little volume capacity so would empty quickly and become much lower pressure as soon as the initial pressure was released. The orifice from the tank to the pipe would prevent it filling back up to the tank pressure.

There is more danger of this compressed air entering your blood stream than causing damage to your flesh. Compressed air, once in your blood stream in sufficient amount will kill you.

If you, somehow, ruptured the tank, you would have problems being so close to it but these are strong and would take an intentional act to break it.

Answer 4

That pressure is the same as being nearly 2 miles underwater. Thats about 6 or 7 times deeper than anyone has ever gone. I would liek to venture a guess and say that the human body cannot withstand that pressure. I imigine a band of air at that pressure would immediately cut through your flesh.

Answer 5

The airjet can cause severe damage to the skin and muscles below the skin. Better check with the manufacturer about the safety precautions that you need to take.

Answer 6

At that pressure, it will tear the flesh from the bones.

Answer 7

Depends on close it is to your arm.

Answer 8

"My prediction?........Pain."

-Clubber Lang (Rocky 3)