Carbon Dioxide Cylinder

Carbon dioxide is a colorless gas, odorless at low concentrations in the air, at high concentrations it has a characteristic sour smell of carbonated water, non-combustible, heavier than air by about 1.5 times (the chemical formula is CO2).

Carbon dioxide is liquefied at a temperature of 20°C and a pressure of over 60 atm, when it thickens into a colorless liquid, it freezes at a temperature of -78.3°C, crystallizing as a white snow-like mass - "dry ice".

In industrial quantities carbon dioxide is produced from flue gases, or as a by-product of chemical processes in the decomposition of natural carbonates (limestone, dolomite) or in the production of alcohol (alcoholic fermentation), as well as a by-product of the production of pure oxygen, nitrogen and argon. Carbon dioxide can be produced by burning carbon in oxygen. Under laboratory conditions, small amounts are obtained by interacting carbonates and hydrocarbonates with acids.

APPLICATION:

Requirements for transportation, storage and use of high-pressure liquid carbon dioxide cylinders are established by the Federal standards and regulations in the field of industrial safety "Regulations of industrial safety for hazardous facilities using equipment operating under excessive pressure", GOST 8050-85 "Carbon dioxide, gaseous and liquid. Technical Conditions (with Amendments N 1, 2, 3, 4)", fire safety standards, as well as other laws and regulations and international agreements in force on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Carbon dioxide cylinders are not hazardous cargo until they are taken into use, but in any case they should be transported in conditions that exclude mechanical damage.

Filled cylinders are transported in wagon-load shipments in boxcars, including passenger train baggage wagons without transshipment en route (not more than 20 cylinders in one car), as well as in general-purpose containers on open rolling stock.

Road transportation is allowed in special containers in accordance with the regulatory and technical documentation. Transported cylinders must be in a horizontal position with gaskets between them or in an upright position with protective rings and under the condition of tight loading (necessarily with a guard against possible falling).

The cylinders must be transported with caps screwed on.

Cylinders designed for storage and transportation of high-pressure liquid carbon dioxide must not be used for storage and transportation of other gases. It is forbidden to make any modifications to the cylinder bodies using welding or mechanical tools, which can lead to damage to the integrity or appearance of defects that degrade the technical characteristics of the cylinders. When using cylinders for high-pressure liquid carbon dioxide it is not allowed to install them in the places of people passage, movement of goods and passage of vehicles. When welding, there must be no more than 20 cylinders on the site of the shielding gas supply to the welding stations. When welding outdoors (outside the workshop) during the winter, the carbon dioxide cylinders must be installed in specially insulated rooms in order to avoid freezing. After the hydraulic test, before filling the cylinders, it is mandatory to purge them with drained carbon dioxide. The filling factor at the ambient temperature of the working area is not higher than +60 °C for cylinders at at 19.6 MPa (200 kgf/cm2) pressure should be 0.72 kg/l; at 14.7 MPa (150 kgf/cm2) pressure - 0.60 kg/l; at 12.25 MPa (125 kgf/cm2) pressure - 0.47 kg/l; at 9.8 MPa (100 kgf/cm2) pressure - 0.29 kg/l. The gas in the cylinders must not be completely consumed when in use. The residual gas pressure in the cylinder must be at least 0.4 MPa (4 kgf/cm2). If the cylinder freezes during gas extraction, do not heat it with a burner flame, steam jet, etc. To warm the cylinder with carbon dioxide, stop taking gas from the cylinder, bring it into a warm room with a temperature of 20 - 25 °C and leave it until it is completely warmed up.

Cylinders filled with liquid carbon dioxide are stored in special warehouses or in outdoor fenced areas under a shelter that protects the cylinders from precipitation and direct sunlight. Storage of cylinders should be carried out with the caps screwed on.