In the period 1904-1918, the first Superoxide rebreathers were introduced
The Pneumatophor device was designed by Dr. Max Bamberger and Dr. Friedrich Böck in 1904 and was manufactured by O. Neupert Nachfolger in Wien.
Several models were built between 1904 and 1916. The models were distinguished by using Superoxide, a chemical that absorbs CO2 and produces Oxygen. The website https://gasmaskandrespirator.fandom.com/wiki/Pneumatogen_1904 is a fantastic source of information on these early mine rescue devices.
Unlike the that time very popular Dräger rebreathers these didn’t contain an oxygen tank making them much simpler and lighter. The regenerating cartridges were filled with potassium Superoxide, sodium Superoxide (KO2, NaO2) and the following reaction generated oxygen:
I. KNaO3+H2O=KOH+NaOH+O2
II. CO2+KOH+NaOH=NaKCO3+H2O
III. CO2+KNaO3=NaKCO3+O2
Therebreathersite was founded by Jan Willem Bech in 1999. After a diving career of many years, he decided to start technical diving in 1999. He immediately noticed that at that time there was almost no website that contained the history of closed breathing systems. The start for the website led to a huge collection that offered about 1,300 pages of information until 2019. In 2019, a fresh start was made with the website now freely available online for everyone. Therebreathersite is a source of information for divers, researchers, technicians and students. I hope you enjoy browsing the content!