Question

Name a chemical which removes \[CO_2\]from the air.

Answer 1

Hint: For several years, carbon dioxide absorbers have been used in anesthesiology. This method is not, however, confined to this area of medicine. Other fields also use carbon dioxide to extract carbon dioxides from the human environment, such as the mining industry, submarines, scuba diving, space travel and many others. The absorber used is white and hygroscopic crystalline material which is slightly soluble in ethanol and soluble in water.

Complete answer: \[LiOH\] is a carbon dioxide absorber and is the newest member in the medical sector. While it has been used in space exploration for many years, making way into the operating room is a fairly recent achievement. Special chemical properties and high absorptive capacity make \[LiOH\] an enticing choice for modern anaesthesia practice for this new form of absorbent. Hence, Lithium hydroxide is used in removing carbon dioxide from the air. To extract carbon dioxide (\[CO_2\]), the space shuttle uses an absorption process. Carbon dioxide absorption is achieved using a sorbent known as lithium hydroxide (\[LiOH\]) in a chemical reaction. In order to manufacture solid lithium carbonate (\[Li_2CO_3\]) and water (\[H_20\]), this process is based on the exothermic reaction of lithium hydroxide with carbon dioxide gas. Because of its high carbon dioxide absorption ability and the limited amount of heat, lithium hydroxide is an appealing option.

Note: The drawbacks include that the chemical reaction is permanent. This allows lithium hydroxide canister substitution to be a regular occurrence during space shuttle flights. Inside the space shuttle cabin, there is also the possibility for some toxicity due to the lithium hydroxide dust.