How Do Airplane Oxygen Masks Work?

Question

Does anyone know how airplane oxygen masks provide oxygen without oxygen tanks?

Answer 1

Airplane oxygen masks do not contain oxygen tanks. Instead, they use 'oxygen candles'—chemical cartridges that produce oxygen when a chemical reaction is initiated. When passengers pull down on their mask, it triggers a reaction between chemicals like barium peroxide, sodium chlorate, and potassium perchlorate, which generates oxygen. This system typically provides 10 to 14 minutes of oxygen, which is usually enough time for the pilot to descend to an altitude where passengers can breathe normally.

Comments

Scubadivers do not use Oxygen bottles. They would not survive pure oxygen. It is simply compressed air in most cases, sometimes other mixes.

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I am a scuba diver. We just put plain old pressurized air in our tanks, not oxygen

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I believe you are incorrect regarding scuba tanks using oxygen. They usually use compressed air.

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Small correction. SCUBA cylinders contain regular air, not O2. Only if you're doing deep dives will it contain something else.

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Scuba divers don’t use oxygen tanks either. They use air tanks. Sometimes with slightly different levels of oxygen and nitrogen than in normal air. But no oxygen tanks (100% oxygen). Not at all !!

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Scuba divers don't use oxygen tanks at all, which is lethal below a few metres, they are filled with regular air or nitrox, which contains a little more oxygen than regular air, thus allowing longer dives, but not as deep as with regular air.

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Side note, Oxygen Candles are used in Submarines to produce Oxygen, as well

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Scuba divers do NOT use oxygen filled tanks.  They are filled with compressed air.