Anti-Fogging Treatments for New Masks. (a comparison of techniques)

[flymolo]

This is very unscientific but I recently got a new (frameless) mask and what worked for me was repeatedly burning the lens. I mean I must have done it 5-6 times, and each time I dove when I discovered an area that still fogged, I'd burn that area again.

 

[lowviz]

@Daebado,

Thank you for reading this endless thread before posting. You speak to an effect that is addressed on page 552 of the (endless) review article on post #425:

"It has been shown experimentally that a hydrophobic aircraft windshield gives the pilot better visibility when it is necessary to fly through rain. Glass can readily be made hydrophobic with a variety of oily materials such as the silicones. Cationic surfactants as a class are very strongly adsorbed; they will even displace water from a previously wetted surface."

Rain-X is the exact opposite approach for our needs. It makes the glass very hydrophobic so that water beads on it. I'm sure that you know but I'll put this out there anyway: Fog is nothing more than tiny droplets of water on the glass. Both the water and glass are clear but the fog droplets mess up the optics and we can't see through the mask. For aircraft, the wind effectively removes droplets far better than water that sheets. For us, a thin film of water on our mask is no problem at all.

 

[lowviz]

@flymolo,

There is a general agreement that flame polishing works. It is the go-to for printing on glass. Flame polishing seems to make the glass surface very hydrophilic but not hydroxylated. I'm still wrenching on this...

 

[Daebado]

Rain-X is quite toxic. You want to test and let us know? I thought not.

Didn't know that about Rain-X. Guess I won't be trying that one!

Pretty sure I (don’t) want to smell carnuba wax for an hour or more during a dive either.

@lowvis confirmed what I already thought about using wax - beading is not what we want. As far as the odor goes, how in the world are you managing to breath in through your nose while under water and wearing a dive mask?? (either one on their own would be a good trick!)

 

[tridacna]

Didn't know that about Rain-X. Guess I won't be trying that one!



@lowvis confirmed what I already thought about using wax - beading is not what we want. As far as the odor goes, how in the world are you managing to breath in through your nose while under water and wearing a dive mask?? (either one on their own would be a good trick!)

Put a few drops of essential oil in your mask next time you dive and report back. Trust me, it’ll be an interesting experience. Make sure it’s something you really really really like.

 

[stuartv]

I dived 2 masks last Saturday that I soaked in my lemon-scented household ammonia. They smelled nice.

 

[stuartv]

Oh, and BTW, the Deep6 mask is back in the ammonia now for 5 more days.

Question: Does the ammonia wear out? I mean, if I soak enough different masks, for long enough, will the ammonia stop doing its thing and need to be replaced with fresh ammonia? If so, any way to tell when it needs to be refreshed?

 

[АлександрД]

I`d remind one nice thing: Melamine foam - Wikipedia
It use to clean any surfaces just with water.
Effect - abrasive. BUT! I suspect it should have hardness less than glass, and should not stay scratches on the glass.

I think it could be used as alternative against burning of the masks.

Can somebody try to test it?
(sorry, I have not glass masks, I use Aquasphere with plastic lenses, and have not objects to test)

P.S. ops, it was mentioned here before

 

[samb521]

Latecomer to this thread, but worked my way through it and interested to see the results...

 

[lowviz]

Question: Does the ammonia wear out?

Again, I'm jumping way ahead, but I think that it does not. Once you get a clean, hydroxylated glass surface you just keep it clean and covered with the defog of your choice. You can always re-clean with ammonia.

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