A gas duster, also known as tinned wind, compressed air, or canned air, is a product used for cleaning or dusting electronic equipment and other sensitive devices that cannot be cleaned using water.
This type of product is most often packaged as a can that, when a trigger is pressed, blasts a stream of compressed gas through a nozzle at the top. Despite the names "canned air" or "compressed air", the cans do not actually contain air (i.e. do not contain O2 or N2 gases) but rather contain other gases that are compressible into liquids. True liquid air is not practical, as it cannot be stored in metal spray cans due to extreme pressure and temperature requirements. Common duster gases include hydrocarbon alkanes, like butane, propane, and isobutane, and hydrofluorocarbons like 1,1-difluoroethane, 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, or 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane which are used because of their lower flammability.
When inhaled, gas duster fumes may produce psychoactive effects and may be harmful to health, sometimes even causing death.[1]
- ^ Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD. "Huffing (Inhalant Abuse) Symptoms, Signs, Abuse Information - MedicineNet". MedicineNet.