3 ms·

> After the soda lime is maxed out, it's tossed. At least so far as I understand you can't meaningfully re-use it for scrubbing, though there are other industri

by rascul 3y ago

> After the soda lime is maxed out, it's tossed. At least so far as I understand you can't meaningfully re-use it for scrubbing, though there are other industrial uses where it can be re-purposed. Does it get re-purposed? Is there an issue to "tossing" it out of the sub while submerged?

ShakataGaNai 3y ago
If I remember my chemistry correctly Soda lime + CO2 results in Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) and Calcium Carbonate. I'm not a submariner, so I have no idea if they have re-purposes use for it onboard. I would assume it is stored, like all trash/waste, onboard until the sub is resupplied.
57FkMytWjyFu 3y ago
The soda lime solution is only used for shipboard casualties. The normal service system on a submarine uses a regenerative fluid to scrub the air of CO2. This fluid smells like cat piss.
- ShakataGaNai 3y ago
  Interesting. I did more research and there isn't a ton out in the public domain, but it looks to be that the USN and others are using MonoEthanolAmine (MEA) as a regenerative CO2 scrubber. MEA >Weeks et al. (1960) reported that volunteers who smelled MEA vapor described the odor as ammoniacal, musty, or foreign; some volunteers were unable to characterize the odor. > Ethanolamine is a colorless, viscous liquid with an odor reminiscent of ammonia. Ammonia is a lot of what "cat piss" smells of, so that tracks. Thanks! That was really interesting to read about! * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanolamine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanolamine * https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA389253 https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA389253 * https://www.sonistics.com/wp-content/uploads/01-KEY-DEVELOPMENTS-4.pdf https://www.sonistics.com/wp-content/uploads/01-KEY-DEVELOPM... * https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11170/chapter/10#197 https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11170/chapter/10#197

by rascul 3y ago

ShakataGaNai 3y ago

If I remember my chemistry correctly Soda lime + CO2 results in Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) and Calcium Carbonate. I'm not a submariner, so I have no idea if they have re-purposes use for it onboard. I would assume it is stored, like all trash/waste, onboard until the sub is resupplied.

57FkMytWjyFu 3y ago

The soda lime solution is only used for shipboard casualties. The normal service system on a submarine uses a regenerative fluid to scrub the air of CO2. This fluid smells like cat piss.

ShakataGaNai 3y ago
Interesting. I did more research and there isn't a ton out in the public domain, but it looks to be that the USN and others are using MonoEthanolAmine (MEA) as a regenerative CO2 scrubber. MEA >Weeks et al. (1960) reported that volunteers who smelled MEA vapor described the odor as ammoniacal, musty, or foreign; some volunteers were unable to characterize the odor. > Ethanolamine is a colorless, viscous liquid with an odor reminiscent of ammonia. Ammonia is a lot of what "cat piss" smells of, so that tracks. Thanks! That was really interesting to read about! * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanolamine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanolamine * https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA389253 https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA389253 * https://www.sonistics.com/wp-content/uploads/01-KEY-DEVELOPMENTS-4.pdf https://www.sonistics.com/wp-content/uploads/01-KEY-DEVELOPM... * https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11170/chapter/10#197 https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11170/chapter/10#197