XPost: sci.space.policy, sci.physics, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: peter@tsto.co.uk   
      
   On 07/11/15 21:24, Thomas Koenig wrote:   
   > Peter Fairbrother  schrieb:   
   >   
   >> Lithium (peroxide) canisters do not just absorb carbon dioxide, they   
   >> also produce oxygen:   
   >>   
   >> 2 Li2O2 + 2 CO2 → 2 Li2CO3 + O2   
   >   
   > Actually, it is water that is being produced.   
   >   
   > The net reaction is   
   >   
   > 2 LiO + CO2 --> Li2CO3 + H2O   
      
      
   There is no hydrogen in the input to your reaction to produce the water   
   in the output of your reaction. It does not balance, in atomic terms.   
      
      
      
      
   Some early spacecraft canisters used lithium hydroxide or hydrated   
   lithium hydroxide instead of lithium peroxide, which would produce water:   
      
   2 LiOH + CO2 ->  Li2CO3 + H2O   
      
   or for hydrated lithium hydroxide:   
      
   2 LiOH.H2O + CO2 → Li2CO3 + 3 H2O   
      
      
      
   Lithium hydroxide is still used in some other   
   CO2-scrubbing-of-breathing-gas applications, eg scuba rebreathers and   
   submarine emergency systems - but it isn't often used in spacecraft   
   nowadays, lithium peroxide is generally preferred.   
      
      
      
      
      
   -- Peter Fairbrother   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)