CO2 recovery/re-use

[SeaBass]

     
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
     
         
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
     
     

     
        
     
   
Does anyone know of any fire extinguisher companies that:
A) reclaim and reuse the CO2 from extinguishers when carrying out discharge tests and/ or disposal
B) recover CO2 from the atmosphere rather than distilling the gas afresh for charging and recharging extinguishers.

Thanks



     
        
     
     
     

[AnthonyB]

In a word no! (It doesn't mean there aren't)

Equipment for this hasn't generally been financially viable/available for the portables industry although lartge scale equipment is used in the brewing industry to capture the CO2 from fermentation.

It has been a bug bear for years as a lot of CO2 gets wasted, however, with the gas being so cheap (works out at roughly 80p a kilo) it's not been an issue, whereas with BCF and Powder recovery and reuse systems have been around for decades (although in the UK powder recovery for reuse is frowned upon, despite being commonplace over the pond, a Powder extinguisher being hydro tested usually has it's original powder put back in it & it is used for refills)

The two UK specialist extinguisher recycling plants may have this but their blurb doesn't make it clear.

[fireftrm]

A small, yet possibly significant, emission of CO2 into the atmosphere? Reducing emissions is the current and future direction for other industries...........

[kurnal]

Yes fair enough. Every little helps but to keep it in context a diesel mondeo emits 1kg of CO2 every 4 miles so dont go out of your way to the recycling station!

[wee brian]

Releasing CO2 into the atmosphere that was recently taken out of the atmsophere isnt a big issue.

Releasing CO2 that was taken out several million years ago (ie fossil fuels) is the big problem.

[fireftrm]

Storing CO2 in extinguishers is therefore a really good idea..........................

[Psuedonym]

Releasing CO2 into the atmosphere that was recently taken out of the atmsophere isnt a big issue.

Releasing CO2 that was taken out several million years ago (ie fossil fuels) is the big problem.

Isn't it the same stuff? Isn't the fossil fuel CO2 merely an element of the products' processing rather than a actual stored element of its own ?

Surely removing anything from the atmosphere to potentially re release it back is not a balanced action. The processing would "cost" more than any (CO2) savings. Or am I being a bit niave. Oh bugger can't spell it. Nurse........

[Tom Sutton]

Surely removing anything from the atmosphere to potentially re release it back is not a balanced action. The processing would "cost" more than any (CO2) savings.

Not if you use wind/water power for the processing.

[Psuedonym]

Oh, of course, silly me! Do you know I forgot all about the wind farms and water turbine systems that suddenly appear from nowhere and don't produce CO2 during the manufacture/design/supply/build stages are valid for 10 years before requiring replacing (Wind turbines) and have a continual external power supply ??! All for a few 2Kg and 5KG Co2s ?

Recycle electrons !! Its the only way to save this doomed planet !! 

[Tom Sutton]

Touché ! Its no good were all doomed!