Neon Cylinder
Neon is an odorless, colorless, inert monatomic gas (the chemical formula is Ne), the fifth most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen, helium, oxygen and carbon. It is the third most abundant in the Earth's crust, after argon and helium, but the highest concentration of neon is found in the atmosphere. Its content in the atmospheric air is about 18.2 cm3 in 1 m3 of air. At normal pressure, neon liquefies at a temperature of -246.05°C and freezes at a temperature of -248,6°C. Neon is obtained from atmospheric air as a by-product in the form of a neon-helium mixture during its separation by low-temperature rectification. The pure components neon (Ne) and helium (He) are extracted from the resulting neon-helium mixture by several methods: 1. the adsorption method, based on the ability of neon, unlike helium, to be adsorbed by activated carbon cooled with liquid nitrogen; 2. the condensation method, based on the freezing of neon when cooling the mixture with liquid hydrogen; 3. the rectification method, based on the boiling point difference between helium and nitrogen.
APPLICATION:
• to fill gas discharge lamps, signal lamps in radio technical apparatus, photocells, rectifiers: neon lamps are used for signaling purposes at lighthouses and airfields, they indicate the tops of high-rise buildings and television towers, since their red color is very weakly scattered by fog and mist, and tubes filled with a mixture of neon and nitrogen give a red-orange glow when an electric discharge is passed through them, and therefore they are widely used in advertising; • a mixture of neon and helium is used as a working medium in gas lasers (helium-neon laser); • liquid neon is used as a refrigerant in cryogenic systems; • neon in the neon-helium mixture is used for breathing by divers, people working at high pressures to avoid gas embolism and nitrogen narcosis. Requirements for transportation, storage and use of cylinders for neon 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 26460-85 "Products of air separation. Gases. Cryoproducts. Packaging, labeling, transportation and storage", TU 6-21-9-78 "High-purity neon", fire safety standards, as well as other laws and regulations and international agreements in force on the territory of the Russian Federation.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. Cylinders filled with neon shall be transported by all modes of transport in accordance with cargo carriage regulations applicable to this mode of transport, as well as safety rules for transportation of dangerous goods by rail. Cylinders filled with neon are transported by rail in wagon-load shipments in boxcars or containers. Small and medium capacity cylinders are transported in unit-load devices. Cylinders may be transported without containers in an upright position and must be fitted with spacers between them and secured against possible falling. Small and medium capacity cylinders shall be transported by river in enclosed cargo spaces of ships and in general-purpose containers on decks. When transported by rail, road and river transport small capacity cylinders should be packed in board boxes. Cylinders must be stacked horizontally in boxes, facing the same direction, with mandatory gaskets between the cylinders, protecting them from hitting each other. The weight of the load in each box must not exceed 65 kg. The cylinders must be transported with caps screwed on.
Cylinders designed for storage and transportation of neon must not be used for storage and transportation of other gases, and it is prohibited to perform any operations that may contaminate their internal surface and degrade the physical and chemical properties of the gas. 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 neon it is not allowed to install them in the places of people passage, movement of goods and passage of vehicles. Cylinders must be located at least 1 m away from radiators and other heating devices and at least 5 m from heat sources with open flame. Krypton is non-toxic and non-explosive, but its accumulation in poorly ventilated rooms can cause oxygen deficiency. In places of possible accumulation of neon it is necessary to control the oxygen volume fraction, which should not be lower than 19%. The gas in the cylinders must not be completely consumed when in use. The residual gas pressure in the cylinder must be at least 0.05 MPa (0.5 kgf/cm2).
Cylinders with neon can be stored both in special warehouses and outdoors, in the latter case they must be protected from atmospheric precipitation and sunlight. Cylinders filled with neon may be stored in open areas together with other air separation products, provided that the storage areas are separated from each other by non-combustible barriers with a height of 1.5 m, joint storage with cylinders filled with combustible gases is also allowed, provided that the storage areas are separated from each other by non-combustible protective walls not less than 2.5 m high. Storage of cylinders should be carried out with the caps screwed on.