Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A research
Presented to
Faculty Development
Research 2
Presented by
Florentino, Avea B.
Chapter 1
Introduction
For many years, the Earth and the people in it have been suffering global warming
—a dilemma that mankind itself has brought upon it—which is caused by too much greenhouse
gases. It is evident in the melting polar caps, the rising sea levels, and the unmistakable change in
climate. In fact, until now humans continue to increase the amount of these gases in the
atmosphere with careless practices, thus worsening this man-made global warming. During the
year 1985, the amount of these gases in the atmosphere had only been 335 parts per million
(ppm), but because of immoderate carbon dioxide emission over the years, it has now passed
403.3 ppm. The oxygen circulating in the planet is already polluted enough for the future
generations to come, and as constructions of greenhouse gas-emitting factories and power plants
rise, so should innovations that will cut the root of global warming.
It is for this reason that the researchers were driven to conduct this study where soda
lime, also called sodium hydroxide, will be used in these industrial buildings as an efficient
Nevertheless, this is widely used in the field of medicine, where it is most commonly
utilized in rebreathing anesthesia systems. However, in this particular study it will be used for
According to Keeling (2018), about 50% of the excess carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere is eradicated by the oceans and land plants, but this is not enough—which is why the
researchers decided to conduct this study in order to help reduce the industrial production of
carbon dioxide, to benefit not only us humans but also all the other organisms living on the
planet.
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
Soda lime is known for its use in the medical field as a rebreathing system, where the carbon
dioxide exhaled by the patient in surgery is converted into oxygen through a chemical reaction. On the
other hand, however, the aim of this project is to utilize it in reducing global warming. The following
1. Will the model of this project work more efficiently as a filter inside the exhaust pipe or
3. Is there a significant difference in using soda lime to help lessen the effects of global
warming?
4. Will the cost of this product’s materials be worth its amount of usage?
Hypotheses
1. Ho: There is no significant difference in using models of this project that will work more
efficiently.
Ha: There is a significant difference in using models of this project that will work more
efficiently.
2. Ho: There is no significant difference in using soda lime in decreasing carbon dioxide
emissions.
Ha: There is a significant difference in using soda lime in decreasing carbon dioxide
emissions.
3. Ho: There is no significant difference in using soda lime to help lessen the effects of global
warming.
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
Ha: There is a significant difference in using soda lime to help lessen the effects of global
warming.
4. Ho: The cost of the product’s materials is not worth its amount of usage.
Ha: The cost of the product’s materials is worth its amount of usage.
The environment. The researchers will be making a product to reduce excess carbon dioxide that
causes air pollution and global warming, therefore as the environment benefits, the people and animals
The people. Climate change is one of the effects of global warming that is felt by people all
around the world. This affects their lives and businesses in ways that are not beneficial. But with the use
of this project that aims to decrease the effects of global warming, the people would no longer experience
The animals. Carbon dioxide is essential for the survival of animals. Too much carbon dioxide,
however, can kill them if it is confined because it can decrease the amount of oxygen reaching the
animals’ bodies. But the animals, most affected by global warming are those in the North Pole, where the
ice caps which they live in are melting due to this drastic increase in temperature. This project will be
Future researchers. This study may help in the enrichment of future researchers’ knowledge in
this field, and in gathering data on chemical substances which may also help in the lessening of global
warming.
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
Objectives
2. To help reduce the production of greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming.
This research, soda lime as carbon dioxide absorbent in reducing global warming, was conducted
to provide filtered air in the aiding of reduction in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Moreover, with
the use of soda lime it also helps in decreasing fresh gas flow, anesthetic consumption and operating room
However, the filter itself that the soda lime creates may not fully sieve the polluted air for it might
still leave some unfiltered chemicals. Thus, it generally happens to severely polluted air that one may try
Definition of Terms
Parts per million – out of a million; usually describes the concentration of something in water or
Chapter 2
Global Warming: The very real problem that we have been experiencing since the early
1830s is the man-made global warming, and this is only worsening as time moves forward. Over
the past 50 years, studies show that the average global temperature has increased at the fastest
rate in recorded history. Moreover, emissions of greenhouse gases are expected to raise global
mean temperature over the next century by 1.0–3.5 °C (Houghton et al. 1995, 1996).
This worldwide problem that people have brought upon themselves occurs when
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO 2) and other air pollutants accumulate in the ozone
layer. The accumulation of these gases in the atmosphere causes the absorption of the sunlight
and solar radiation that normally would have been bounced back to outer space. It is for this
reason that Earth’s temperature continues to increase. The pollutants which can last up to
centuries trap the heat our planet receives from the sun and causes Earth to become hotter; this is
In recent years, China has taken the lead in global warming pollution, producing about
28% of all carbon dioxide emissions. The United States comes in second, despite making up just
4% of the world’s population, producing a massive 16% of all global carbon dioxide emissions
—as much as the European Union and India (third and fourth place respectively) combined. The
burning of fossil fuels in order to create electricity is one of the largest sources of greenhouse
gases, producing about two billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. In fact, coal-burning power
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
plants are by far the biggest polluters. But looking at the bigger picture, humans add to the
amounts of these pollutants every day—such as when they burn rubbish or simply drive their
cars.
Increasing greenhouse gas concentrations are expected to have significant impacts on the
studies is now accumulating and suggests that the climate of the past few decades is anomalous
compared with past climate variation, and that recent climatic and atmospheric trends are already
It is a sad fact that albeit most are aware of how severe global warming has become,
many still act as though this is not something to worry about. Each year, scientists learn more
about the effects of global warming, and many agree that environmental, economic, and health
consequences are likely to occur if these trends continue. Researchers agree that the earth’s
rising temperatures are fueling longer and hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, heavier
rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes. Forests, farms, and cities will face troublesome new
pests, heat waves, heavy downpours, and increased flooding most especially in cities. All those
factors shall either damage or destroy agriculture and fisheries in the future, or may even occur
now.
In more naturally arid areas, droughts and wildfires intensify. In fact, in 2015, scientists
proclaimed that an ongoing drought in California—the state’s worst water shortage in 1,200
years—had been intensified by 15% to 20% by global warming. Moreover, it is said that melting
glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages. This is
only one of the instances where global warming had intensified the Earth’s climate change.
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
The accumulation of excessive greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causes the planet's
snowpack, glaciers and sea and freshwater ice to melt rapidly. As a matter of fact, Antarctica has
been losing about 134 billion metric tons of ice per year since 2002. Melting glaciers and polar
ice sheets contribute to unprecedented sea level rise and exposes darker ocean waters, which
absorb more sunlight than ice. Because of this absorption, the ocean is heated more and a
As the effect, the ice that Arctic animals need is disappearing. As sea ice disappears, ice-
dependent mammals such as walruses and polar bears struggle to survive. In 2008, the polar bear
became the first animal to make the Endangered Species Act list of threatened species because of
global warming.
There is a great possibility that this rate of melting ice caps would accelerate if we keep
burning fossil fuels at our current pace and cause sea levels to rise several meters over the next
50 to 150 years. Rising sea levels will lead to coastal flooding on the Eastern Seaboard,
Along with sea levels, sea temperatures are also rising, which means that tropical storms
can pick up more energy and become more destructive. The increased evaporation of water is
like fuel for storms, exacerbating extreme weather events, such as hurricanes. Rising sea levels
make storm surges capable of much greater damage. Furthermore, scientists have also found that
the frequency of North Atlantic hurricanes has increased since the early 1980s, as well as the
Another consequence of global warming is that the oceans are getting hotter, expanding
and becoming more acidic. Ocean temperatures are increasing for the reason that they absorb
90% of the extra heat in the climate. This shift causes the oceans to expand, contributing to
higher sea levels, and stripping corals of their vivid colors. These corals, which are homes of
aquatic animals, are being “cooked” because of this anomalous rise in sea temperature. Coral
reefs are highly sensitive to small shifts in ocean temperatures. The heat stresses the algae that
nourish the corals and provide their vibrant colors and because of this, the algae then leave, and
the corals eventually starve—an occurrence also known as bleaching. As coral reefs are home to
many other species, such as fish, their collapse would disrupt the entire ecosystem.
Meanwhile, nearly a third of carbon dioxide emissions end up in the oceans, triggering a
chemistry change that makes the water more acidic. Studies show that the ocean is actually
almost 40% more acidic than it used to be. Moreover, a this type of acidic ocean affects the
normal calcium balance, meaning creatures with calcified shells, such as shellfish and coral, may
not have enough calcium to grow. Therefore the shells of these sea creatures are dissolved.
Aside from these effects, forests have also become more prone to deadly
infestations. Milder winters and lengthier summers allow tree-killing insects to thrive. In view of
that, trees weakened by prolonged drought have lower defense mechanisms. This cycle of
warmer weather, weak trees and thriving insects is likely the culprit behind the massive die-off
In consequence, animals’ natural habitats become hostile. Habitats on land and in the sea
are being altered, making them inhospitable for some species, while letting others move in and
take over. In many dry ecosystems, increased evaporative water loss at higher temperatures,
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
resulting in dryer soils, may strongly limit soil and plant processes so that potential temperature-
driven increases in process rates are not achieved (Mooney et al. 1999, Saleska et al. 1999).
history, a primary concern for wild species and their ecosystems is this rapid rate of change.
Indeed, more than 80% of the species that show changes are shifting in the direction expected
evidence from these studies strongly suggests that a significant impact of global warming is
already discernible in animal and plant populations. The synergism of rapid temperature rise
and other stresses, in particular habitat destruction, could easily disrupt the connectedness
changes in species, and to numerous extirpations and possibly extinctions (Root et al, 2003).
Based from a study on global warming and terrestrial ecosystems by Gaius R. Shaver
et al, warming will affect essentially all ecosystem processes and organic matter pools but at
different rates. Because the processes and pools are linked to each other through biogeochemical
cycles, the magnitude and even the direction of the net change in the ecosystem may vary over
time.
But ecosystems are not the only networks being affected by climate change; climate
change is also a major threat to agriculture. The place, the time and the manner of how people
grow crops are essentially connected to our climate's normal patterns. Farmers all over the world
are struggling to keep up with shifting weather patterns and increasingly unpredictable water
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
supplies. Moreover, farms are also more likely to face attacks from weeds, diseases and pests.
Aside from the said effects, our infrastructure and transportation are likewise at risk. Hot
weather, flooding and other extreme weather events damage infrastructure, put heavy burdens on
electrical supplies and disrupt how we travel and commute. An example of a disturbance people
experience during travelling is the excessive heat-caused expansions of concrete in roadways that
The destructive hurricanes that fuel on global warming also contribute to the travel
disruption that humans encounter. These more powerful storms can bring not only a mess for us
to clean up, but also severe infrastructure and transportation damage, such as destructions of
bridges.
Lastly, a warmer, polluted atmosphere affects our health and increases the formation
lungs and triggers asthma attacks. Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will
become more common due to increased growth of pollen-producing ragweed, higher levels of air
pollution, and the spread of conditions favorable to pathogens and mosquitoes. Warmer
freshwater makes it easier for disease-causing agents (such as bacteria) to grow and contaminate
drinking water. Additionally, smoke from wildfires further degrades the air humans breathe, and
gas mixture is contacted with a liquid for the purpose of preferentially dissolving one or more
components of the gas mixture and to provide a solution of them in the liquid.
Therefore we can see that there is a mass transfer of the component of the gas from the
gas phase to the liquid phase. The solute so transferred is said to be absorbed by the liquid.
In gas desorption (or stripping), the mass transfer is in the opposite direction, i.e. from
the liquid phase to the gas phase. The principles for both systems are the same.
The process of gas absorption thus involves the diffusion of solute from the gas phase
When water and hydrocarbon oils are used as absorbents, no significant chemical
reactions occur between the absorbent and the solute, and the process is commonly referred to
as physical absorption.
When aqueous sodium hydroxide (a strong base) is used as the absorbent to dissolve an
acid gas, absorption is accompanied by a rapid and irreversible neutralization reaction in the
More complex examples of chemical absorption are processes for absorbing CO2 and H2S
(DEG) or triethyleneglycol (TEG), where a reversible chemical reaction takes place in the liquid
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
phase. Chemical reactions can increase the rate of absorption, increase the absorption capacity of
the solvent, increase selectivity to preferentially dissolve only certain components of the gas, and
The absorption of carbon dioxide is mandatory in closed and semi-closed circle breathing
systems. The elimination of carbon dioxide from exhaled gases is achieved through chemical
neutralization in transparent canisters containing absorbent granules. The ideal CO2 absorbent
should have high efficiency, low airflow resistance, no toxicity or reactions with inhalation
Effective carbon dioxide absorption prevents CO2 rebreathing and the development of
hypercapnia.
There are several types of carbon dioxide absorbents used today. Each type has a
different degree of efficiency for CO 2 elimination The neutralization of CO2 involves a number
of chemical reactions.
Amsorb is a new carbon dioxide absorbent for use in anesthetic breathing systems. It
consists of calcium hydroxide lime (70%), water (14.5%), calcium chloride (0.7%), and two
agents to improve hardness (calcium sulfate and polyvinylpyrrolidine). Amsorb has half the
availability. As a result, there is no need for alkali agents like NaOH or KOH. Without these
strong monovalent bases, calcium hydroxide lime has fewer adverse reactions associated with
the breakdown of inhalation agents (such as the formation of compound A or carbon monoxide).
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
Neutralization of carbon dioxide with Amsorb begins with the reaction of carbon dioxide
with water present in the granules to form carbonic acid. Carbonic acid then reacts with calcium
Soda Lime: There are several types of carbon dioxide absorbents used today. Each type
has a different degree of efficiency for CO2 elimination. Soda lime is just one of the many
Soda lime, white or grayish white granular mixture of calcium hydroxide with sodium
hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. The components of soda lime are calcium hydroxide (80%),
water (15%), and two catalysts: sodium hydroxide (5%) and potassium hydroxide (<0.1%).
Some types of soda lime lack potassium hydroxide. Silica is added to make the granules harder
and more stable, which reduces alkaline powder formation (which could cause bronchospasm). It
has a pH of 13.5. Soda lime absorbs about 19% of its weight in carbon dioxide, hence 100 g of
Soda lime absorbs carbon dioxide and water vapour and deteriorates rapidly unless kept
in airtight containers. Medically, soda lime is used to absorb carbon dioxide in basal metabolism
tests and in rebreathing anesthesia systems. In gas masks it is an absorbent for toxic gases. It is
used in laboratories as a drying agent. A highly corrosive poison, soda lime severely damages the
The elimination of CO2 from exhaled gases is achieved through chemical neutralization
in transparent canisters containing absorbent granules. The ideal CO2 absorbent should have
high efficiency, low airflow resistance, no toxicity or reactions with inhalation anesthetics, and
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
low cost. Effective carbon dioxide absorption prevents CO2 rebreathing and the development of
submarines, rebreathers and recompression chambers, to remove carbon dioxide from breathing
It absorbs about 19% of its weight in carbon dioxide, hence 100 g of soda lime can
absorb approximately 26 L of carbon dioxide. Calcium hydroxide reacts with the carbonates
within minutes to form calcium carbonate, an insoluble precipitate. Because soda lime color
indicators are unreliable, when a semi closed breathing circle is used at a low rate of fresh gas
flow without CO2 monitoring, the CO2 absorbent must be replaced more frequently.
It is a given fact that soda lime is used in different fields as a carbon dioxide absorbent
During the administration of general anaesthesia, the gases expired by a patient, which
contain carbon dioxide, are passed through an anaesthetic machine breathing circuit filled with
soda lime granules. Medical-grade soda lime includes an indicating dye that changes color when
To ensure that a soda lime canister (CO2 absorber) is functioning properly, it should not
be used if the indicating dye is activated. Standard anaesthesia machines typically contain up to 2
Lithium hydroxide is the alkali hydroxide with the lowest molecular weight and is
therefore used as CO2 absorbent in space flights since the Apollo programme to spare weight at
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
launch. During Apollo 13 flight, the crew sheltered in the lunar module started suffering from
high CO2 levels and had to adapt spare absorbent cartridges from the Apollo capsule to the LEM
system.
Recent generation of CO2 absorbents have been developed to reduce the risk of
formation of toxic by-products as a result of the interaction between the absorbent and inhaled
anesthetics. Some absorbents made from lithium hydroxide are also available for this purpose.
rebreather. As a person breathes, the body consumes oxygen and produces carbon dioxide.
A rebreather is a breathing apparatus that absorbs the carbon dioxide of a user's exhaled
breath to permit the rebreathing of the substantially unused oxygen content, and unused inert
content when present, of each breath. Oxygen is added to replenish the amount metabolised by
the user. This differs from an open-circuit breathing apparatus, where the exhaled gas is
Rebreather technology may be used where breathing gas supply is limited, such as
underwater or in space, where the environment is toxic or hypoxic, as in firefighting, mine rescue
and high-altitude operations, or where the breathing gas is specially enriched or contains
expensive components, such as helium diluent or anaesthetic gases. But soda lime is a cheaper
The situation is even more wasteful of oxygen when the oxygen fraction of the breathing
gas is higher, and in underwater diving, the compression of breathing gas due to depth makes the
recirculation of exhaled gas even more desirable, as an even larger proportion of open circuit gas
is wasted. Continued rebreathing of the same gas will deplete the oxygen to a level which will no
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
longer support consciousness, and eventually life, so gas containing oxygen must be added to the
However, if this is done without removing the carbon dioxide, it will rapidly build up in
the recycled gas, resulting almost immediately in mild respiratory distress, and rapidly
developing into further stages of hypercapnia, or carbon dioxide toxicity. A high ventilation rate
Soda lime can also be used as a desiccant. Soda lime's ability to absorb moisture makes it
a powerful drying agent, or desiccant, in commercial and industrial usage. Its toxicity and caustic
nature make it unsuited for consumer use, where silica gel is preferred, but it is used in a number
in some cases incorporated directly into a compound during mixing. Soda lime works more
slowly than silica gel, but can achieve lower levels of humidity.
Although soda lime is a very helpful and useful granule is also has some flaws. By
normal means you would have to change the color of the indicator to detect exhaustion. And the
said process requires some time and effort to do so every now and then. During the process not
all the granules are going to change colors, some of them are going to begin changing colors
All of the supposed functions, advantages and disadvantages only fortifies the abilities of
soda lime as a carbon dioxide absorbent and also shows the limits of one too. Although there are
various types of carbon dioxide absorbents the researchers chose to use soda lime due to it’s
Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the research procedures used in the study. This consists of the materials and
equipment, the research design employed in the conduct of the study, and the methodologies done in able
PROCEDURAL FRAMEWORK
Requirement of
Analysis
Planning of
Design
Construction of
Design
Maintenance
Picture 1
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
RESEARCH DESIGN
The method used in this research is developmental research. In this method is a configuration of
events which comprises the analysis of the requirements, planning of the design, the construction, and the
First, analysis of the requirements was shown through identifying the current and most relevant
Second, planning of the design was done by considering the data gathered in the analysis of the
requirements and the possible variables that might affect the design itself.
Third, in the construction of the design, all required materials were bought and prepared based on
Fourth, under the integration of design, all the materials were put together according to the
Fifth, in the testing of the design, the overall built quality of the model was tested to be able to
RESEARCH LOCALE
The study was developed at the Grade 9 – DXP room of Philippine Yuh Chiau School in
Cabatuan, Isabela from October to December 2018. The said school is one of the leading private schools
in the said municipality that provides effective and quality education to learners. The proponents of this
1. Soda Lime – the most important material in the product; the carbon dioxide absorbent
2. Strainer or Net – the material where the soda lime pellets will be laid in
3. PVC Pipes – where the smoke and carbon dioxide will pass through
The different materials to be used in the construction and testing of the design were purchased
and prepared. The soda lime was bought at Cauayan City, while the rest of the materials were purchased
Using four pieces of 1.5ft x 1ft plywood, a wooden box was assembled and put together using
wood glue. The wooden box served as the prototype building where it later on emitted carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases. On the center of the top piece of plywood, a hole with a four-inch was cut in.
SODA LIME AS CO2 ABSORBENT IN REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING | FLORENTINO, HALILI, UY
A PVC pipe with a diameter of 4 inches was cut into a length of 0.5 ft to serve as the prototype
smoke pipe. After that, the remaining PVC pipe was cut into a length of 2 inches. Using the glue gun, the
strainer was firmly attached to one end of the 2-inch pipe where soda lime pellets were then poured in.
For the detachable lid of the soda lime container, screws were used to connect it to the smoke pipe. After
the parts were all assembled, the tubes were attached into the hole on top of the prototype factory using
4. Testing
The model was tested on Philippine Yuh Chiau School’s open area, where the kindling placed on
aluminum foil inside the prototype factory was lit to produce carbon dioxide. After the fire was lit, the
open side of the wooden box was covered with plywood so there would only be one opening. After