I have been using a respirator to protect myself against the fumes, and other harmful chemicals when I spray. For spraying Alclad I tried an R51A cartridge, which is supposed to be good against organic vapors. (If toluene is not an organic vapor, I don't know what is.) Anyway, I felt the smell of the paint under the mask while spraying.
Since I never had to use a mask in my profession (we have fumehoods), I have no idea if it's OK, or the cartridge is not functioning well.
Can anybody comment on that?

Thank you.

I know that cartridges have useful life spans which are finite. (this you probably already know).

Then I did a web search, whoa, easy for them to say
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/respiratory/math_model/math_model.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12851011&dopt=AbstractPlus

I thought chinese algebra was complicated.

Hey, I never though of using PubMed... good idea
These are new cartridges -or, more precisely, at least a year old, but unused, and kept in a sealed package.
I'm just worried. Does anybody else use these masks?

Yep.... i've been using one with a downdraft booth..... haven't changed them (probably sould) as they're about 2 years old.... but I still don't "smell" and solvent thru it............