Nitrous Oxide Cylinder
Nitrous oxide (nitrogen oxide, "laughing gas") is a colorless, non-combustible gas with a pleasant sweet odor and aftertaste (the chemical formula is N2O). It is heavier than air, soluble in water, ethyl alcohol, ether, sulphuric acid. Nitrous oxide is liquefied at a temperature of 0 °C and a pressure of 30 atm or at room temperature and a pressure of 40 atm, as well as when the temperature drops to -88.48 °C. In its liquefied state, nitrous oxide is a colorless liquid. It freezes at a temperature of -90.86 °C. Nitrous oxide is obtained by heating sulfamic acid with nitric acid, or by careful heating of dry ammonium nitrate. As a by-product, nitrous oxide is also formed in various reactions in the chemical industry.
APPLICATION:
• in medicine as a means of inhalation anesthesia; • in the food industry for cooling, freezing and storing foodstuffs in direct and indirect contact with them, it is a preservative; • in industry for welding and nitriding of silicon films; • in atomic emission spectrophotometric analysis; •when searching for various leaks; • for the preparation of particularly pure gases; • to improve technical characteristics of internal combustion engines; • in rocket engines as an oxidizing agent and as the only fuel in mono-component rocket engines. Requirements for transportation, storage and use of nitrous oxide 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", technical specifications of nitrous oxide manufacturers, 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 nitrous oxide 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 may be transported in special containers, as well as without containers in an upright position, always with spacers between them and secured against possible falling. The cylinders must be transported with caps screwed on.
Cylinders designed for storage and transportation of nitrous oxide 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 nitrous oxide cylinders 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. 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 nitrous oxide can be stored both in special rooms and in the open air, in the latter case they must be protected from atmospheric precipitation and sunlight. Cylinders that do not have shoes can be stored in a horizontal position on wooden frames or racks. Cylinders filled with nitrous oxide 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.