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Carbon Dioxide Absorbent for Rebreathers

Diving rebreathers purify the breathing gas with a chemical process called scrubbing. The chemical most often used in rebreathers is soda lime. There are many different formulations, but soda lime is mostly slaked lime mixed with small amounts of more strongly base pH chemicals known as alkai salts to help speed up the process. Some formulations of soda lime also contain very specific amounts of water needed to begin an effective chemical process. The carbon dioxide gas exhaled by the diver mixes with the water to form a weak carbonic acid liquid. The carbonic acid reacts with the soda lime to form chalk, a stable solid compound that binds the carbon dioxide and removes it from the breathing gas. The chemical reactions also produce heat and more water, which in turn causes the process to continue more efficiently.

Because there are a great many types and formulations of carbon dioxide absorbent, it is critical to use only the specific CO2 absorbent recommended by the manufacturer of your rebreather. Proper storage is a necessity as well, in order to maintain the correct balance and distribution of moisture throughout the absorbent.

ExtendAir® Cartridge

Sold in cases of four cartridges, each cartridge is packaged individually in an airtight sealed and dated container. When stored correctly, ExtendAir containers maintain proper absorption capacity for approximately three years.

absorb - "to take in and incorporate; to receive a chemical by molecular action."

adsorb - "to collect a substance in a condensed form on a surface."

Adsorbents are materials that retain chemicals on the surface of their particles by capillary action and surface tension. The most widely used type of adsorbent is granular clay, commonly referred to as kitty litter.

Sofnolime™ Granules

SOFNOLIME Specifications	Item Number
	SL408	SL812
Molecular Products Code	CD	797
Particle Size (mesh)	4 - 8	8 - 12
Particle Size (mm)	2.0 - 5.0	1.0 - 2.5

Sold only in 44-pound heavy-duty reclosable keg containers, the smaller 20-pound twinpacks are no longer available in the US. When stored correctly, SOFNOLIME containers maintain proper absorption capacity for at least five years.

Because you asked ... "Is this really Sofnolime™ brand?" Many divers ask because they have experienced first hand that other brands don't perform as well as Sofnolime and contain much more dust. Don't worry, we are offering genuine Sofnolime brand granular CO2 absorbent specifically recommended by the manufacturers for use in their rebreathers. We are not substituting another brand, and we are not substituting a generic brand formula from the same manufacturer. Our absorbent is also fresh, with a product use by date aka 'Expiry' of year 2013 and it is stored in our climate controlled warehouse.

to view a Molecular Products declaration of SOFNOLIME transport class as non-hazardous.

to view the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for SOFNOLIME.

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