Oxygen scavenger

Description

A system or substance, such as a metal hydride or fine particle iron, that actively removes Oxygen from the atmosphere by adsorption, absorption, or chemical reaction. Oxygen scavengers are used to produce anoxic environments that can minimize oxidation or kill insects. The most common type of oxygen scavenger is Iron powder mixed with Sodium chloride. Moisture activates the iron to oxidize, thus forming iron oxide resulting in a decrease in oxygen levels. Usually the rection requires RH of 65% but at low humidity, sodium chloride can initiate the oxidation reaction. Iron powder can reduceoxygen levels to below 0.01% in an air-tight container.

Other types of oxygen scavengers include: ferrous carbonate, Tetrahydrofuran; Ascorbic acid, hydrazine, and oxygen adsorbent polymers.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Oxygen absorber

Brand names: Ageless®; RP-K; RP-A; VELOXY®

Resources and Citations

• Wikipedia: Oxygen scavenger Accessed July 2023
• A Glossary of Paper Conservation Terms, Margaret Ellis (ed.), Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York City, 1998
• Website: www.cwaller.de/oxygen.htm
• AMOL reCollections Glossary -http://amol.org.au/recollections/7/o/htm