Royal Thai Army Introduce a New Cooking Gas Cylinder

09/09/2013 / SubmitMyPR /

The Royal Thai Army introduced a new type of cooking gas cylinder that helps reduce the dispersal of lethal shrapnel. In the disputed areas in the south of Thailand, the old type of cylinder was often used to create bombs because the cylinder can easily disperse considerable metal shrapnel.

The bombs that are created by insurgents can be less effective now, and the new type of cooking gas cylinder may force the insurgents to change their selection of materials, or make it more difficult to create bombs, altogether.

The military research unit unveiled that this new cooking cylinder has secured an initial approval from the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC).

However, ISOC spokesman, Maj.-General Surachart Jitjang, did not say whether this new cooking cylinder, called Im Oon cylinders, would be in production for household uses nationwide, or if the Army would grant licenses to civilian cylinder manufacturers.

The Im Oon cylinder is made of a composite material comprised of resin and fiberglass, which would render both lighter and lesser amounts of shrapnel, making it less lethal than generic cylinders that are made of metal. The ISOC will further develop the Im Oon cylinder for possible mass production for household use in the insurgency-ravaged deep South.

If the project licenses this new cylinder to civilian cylinder makers, then the next question is if they will also use it in LPG vehicles to replace the old, heavy metal cylinders currently used in many cars, especially in Bangkok.

Therefore, if Im Oon cylinders will be used nationwide in the future, the next concern is safety. Can it be used in these vehicles? Moreover, can it completely replace the old type cylinders in the household? Besides concerns about the dispersed shrapnel of the old type cylinder, the Army will have to determine whether the Im Oon cylinder can be used in diverse circumstances, or if it is difficult to adapt. In any case, if these cylinders break or leak easily, they may not be safe for use in everyday life.