The absorption of carbon dioxide removal or any acid gas using DECARBITE® is a chemical reaction, not a physical one. Carbon dioxide reacts with the sodium hydroxide based absorbent and undergoes a complete chemical change. This change is irreversible; therefore the absorbent cannot be regenerated for reuse.

A small percentage of moisture present in the absorbent material, (about 3%) is important. CO2 reacts with this moisture to form carbonic acid, which in turn reacts with the hydroxide to form the salt of carbonic acid, or sodium carbonate . The absorption of carbon dioxide is expressed as follows:

Chemical Equation:

The products of reaction are sodium carbonate and water. DECARBITE® is disposable absorbent product. DECARBITE® is color indicating, changing from greenish brown to white upon carbon dioxide saturation. This change is clearly perceptible and indicates when spent material is to be discarded.

Occasionally, a condition known as channeling can occur when the gas flow finds holes or areas of least resistance and a channel is formed. The gas flow follows these channels through the absorbent defeating the purpose of scrubbing out the carbon dioxide. DECARBITE® eliminates this problem in several ways; the silica binding to the sodium hydroxide keeps the particles from bonding in the presence of moisture which is formed as a by product of the absorption reaction. It also aids in preventing the absorbent to coalesce into a solid mass blocking gas flow and causing back pressure across the absorption bed.