Originally Posted by
Darth Lefty
Some old answers from Zinn's column
(edited for relevance, there was a lot here too about fix-a-flat cartridges that use propane)
From Stan’s:
“...CO2 will get you out of the woods, but we found it reduced the life of the sealant.— Peter Kastner, System Manager, Stan’s NOTUBES”
Carbon dioxide is nearly inert in most all applications. I suspect that there is a dynamic that results from the combined effects of the CO2 solubility in the rubber and the solubility of the glycol used for the sealant in the rubber. The CO2 is fairly rapidly moved through the rubber and likely takes the glycol through with it. An reduction in the sealant solvent would be more likely to cause polymerization of the latex than thermal shock as well.