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RobertDyck

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From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,932

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Tri-Ox compound

Star Trek TOS had a medical compound that could be injected to patents suffering from hypoxia. This could be due to exposure to vacuum, or being sealed in a chamber without life support for so long that people consumed all oxygen, or medical condition. During episode S02E01 "Amok Time", Spock returned to Vulcan. Kirk had to participate in strenuous physical activity, but planet Vulcan had air that was much thinner than Earth. Dr McCoy gave him an injection of tri-ox compound to compensate. For plot reasons it turned out the injection wasn't actually tri-ox, but that's not my point. A recent episode of "The Expanse", S05E03, one character was sealed in a shipping container. The container was in a storage facility in a space. The character tried to break out, not realizing outside is hard vacuum. She broke the seal; she stopped when she produced a slow leak. The air leaked out, she lost consciousness. Rescuruers searched for her, found her after she lost consciousness, and gave her an injection of "super-oxygenated blood". Of course that revived her last minute; Hollywood likes saves at the last second. I doubt a syringe of "super-oxygenated blood" would be enough. These examples show the need for something.

Here is a news report of someone trying to develop the first version.
ScienceDaily: Injecting life-saving oxygen into a vein

Date: June 27, 2012
Source: Children's Hospital Boston
Summary: Patients unable to breathe because of acute lung failure or an obstructed airway need another way to get oxygen to their blood -- and fast -- to avoid cardiac arrest and brain injury. Medical researchers have designed tiny, gas-filled microparticles that can be injected directly into the bloodstream to quickly oxygenate the blood.

However, gas-filled microparticles can only hold so much. Density of a liquid or solid is much greater. So what could break down to release oxygen? The Soviet spacecraft Soyuz use a different life support system; first used in Soyuz 7K in 1963, still used today. Instead of bottle oxygen and lithium hydroxide to absorb CO2, they one compound that did both in a single step. It also dehumidified the cabin. Potassium superoxide: KO2. It absorbs most of the moisture and CO2 from cabin air, lithium hydroxide absorbs the rest. Could this be used as a medical injection?

Potassium superoxide reaction:
    2 KO2 + 2 H2O → 2 KOH + H2O2 + O2

Potassium hydroxide (KOH) absorbing carbon dioxide produces carbonates:
    2 KOH + CO2 → K2CO3 + H2O
    KOH + CO2 → KHCO3

Combining these two reactions produces:
    4 KO2 + 2 CO2 → 2 K2CO3 + 3 O2
    4 KO2 + 4 CO2 + 2 H2O → 4 KHCO3 + 3 O2

There is a problem with this: it reacts explosively with water. So injecting into human blood is not safe. Could a compound be developed that uses this, binds potassium superoxide to something that moderates the reaction, slowing it down? Could this be the basis for an oxygen generating injectable?

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Tri-Ox compound

I do vagally recall parts for the star-trek show but its been quite some time.

I am wondering if a released tri-ox compound if they are deployed high in the mars air and then seeded with moisture would the reaction cause a atmosphere holding by displacement of a heavier gas allowing for an atmospheric build up?