Making your own O2 Absorbers

Falcon15 · Jul 18, 2011

I got this from a friend, who is a bit of a chemistry buff. Caveat - I have not tried this yet, but he has and he reports total success:

Take about 6 grams of iron filings and 6 grams of sea salt for a 5/6 gal bucket. Mix the two elements together and place in a small paper envelope. Put 2 to 4 drops of water on the envelope just before it is placed in the grain. There is enough moisture in the grain to keep this process going for a long time if the bucket isn't perfectly sealed.

This process is perfectly safe. The salt rapidly converts the Iron (Fe) to Iron Oxide (FeO, or Fe2O3). The oxygen is all tied up with the iron, thus leaving a near oxygen-free environment so the grain won't oxidize. It is almost the same as nitrogen-packed; 78% of the air is nitrogen and that is about the only thing left when the oxygen is gone.
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As with anything, YMMV. I really do not know how to test the effectiveness.

chelloveck · Jul 18, 2011

DIY O2 Absorbers

Here is a further reference to O2 absorbers....note that there are some limitations to be aware of

　
"...What are oxygen absorbers made of?
Oxygen absorbers are small packets that contain an iron powder. The packets are made of a material that allows oxygen and moisture to enter but does not allow the iron powder to leak out.
How do oxygen absorbers work?
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Moisture in the packaged food causes the iron in the oxygen absorber to rust. As it oxidizes, the iron absorbs oxygen. Oxygen absorbers rated for 300 cubic centimeters (cc) of oxygen work well for properly packaged dry food in containers of up to one-gallon capacity (4 liters). ..."

"...What types of products can be stored using oxygen absorbers?
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Products should be low in moisture and oil content. If the moisture content is not low enough (about 10 percent or less), storing products in reduced oxygen packaging may result in botulism poisoning. (my emphasis - VC)Visit providentliving.org for specific product recommendations...." [/FONT]
[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
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http://providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/109616_OxygenAbsorbers31_MAR_08_pdf.pdf

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Falcon15 · Jul 18, 2011

Thank you, Chell for the extra information.

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Making your own O2 Absorbers

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