Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] ARCHIVED ExtendAir scrubber cartridge

Aside from ops warnings from Jay and yours truly (LiOH is expensive and nasty in the sinuses) you might think about the biggest user of submersibles after Atlantis. That would be Professor Doctor Mister Phil Nuytton. His folks use Soda Sorb or equivelant. They don't use cartridges (which will ultimately be wasteful as it's hard to preserve the unused portion once the sealing tape is pulled. They buy that stuff in buckets. For us small time users, you can buy it in small sealed bags which store nicely and last for a long time on the shelf. That said, if you plan to do what Dan H. is doing, carrying scrubbers for emergency use only, then the cartridges might pay for themselves in convenience. None of us are building space stations or shuttles or 50 passenger submarines, so the higher efficiency probably won't be worth the cost. And who asked if flammability was really an issue? I've done a couple of fires underwater, sports fans, and I'm here to tell you that flammability IS an issue. Especially chemical fires that you can't do a lot about except hope the viewports don't melt before you can get your momma's favorite boy back to the surface. Fires underwater SUCK. End of discussion. Avoid them whenever you can. Always, for instance.

-----Original Message-----
From: Recon1st@aol.com
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Sent: Tue, Nov 24, 2009 5:29 pm
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] ExtendAir scrubber cartridge

Jay I think you convinced me.

The lithium does not sound the best way.

Dean

In a message dated 11/24/2009 4:23:00 P.M. Central Standard Time, bottomgun@mindspring.com writes:

Jon,

Pardon me, I meant to say minor amounts of oil/grease. Years ago had to work with many of the various scrubber materials when developing parts for the US Navy's EX-19 rebreather with a 12-hour duration.

R/Jay

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org [mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] On Behalf Of Jon Wallace
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 5:07 PM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] ExtendAir scrubber cartridge

Jay,

You sure you have that correct? One of the by-products of the CO2 absorption is water. What are the conditions that cause it to be flammable/explosive? We know it was used in Apollo and also in existing submarines so those conditions can't be very conducive to this extreme behavior.

Here's some wiki info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_hydroxide

Jon

Jay K. Jeffries wrote:

>

> The lithium hydroxide cartridges are of a larger diameter as compared

> to the much more common Extend-air slaked calcium hydroxide units.

> The LiOH cartridges are MUCH more expensive with a proportionally

> extended duration time. As a by-product, they produce a lot of heat.

> In addition to the downside of the cost, exposure to water makes them

> flammable/explosive. The other cartridges can be acquired through

> many SCUBA shops.

>

> R/Jay

>

> / /

>

> *From:* owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org

> [mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] *On Behalf Of *David

> Bartsch

> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 24, 2009 4:06 PM

> *To:* personal_submersibles@psubs.org

> *Subject:* RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] ExtendAir scrubber cartridge

>

>

>

>   Just a note...Lithium Hydroxide canisters were aboard my submarine

> in case of emergencies. I would assume that the navy did extensive

> research and found these to be the best purchase for the limited space

> available.

>

>   My .02 cents

>

>

> David Bartsch

>

>

>

>

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